ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Police: Criminal Allegations

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the Crown Prosecution Service's handling of criminal allegations against police.

Dominic Grieve: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the oral question from the right hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), earlier today.

European Court of Human Rights

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Attorney-General what recent assessment he has made of prospects for the reform of the European Court of Human Rights.

Dominic Grieve: Good progress has been made in clearing the backlog of inadmissible cases. However more work is needed to address the growing backlog of admissible cases, hence the recent Brighton Declaration under the UK's Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which represents a substantial and important step towards realising the Government's ambitions.

Departmental Staff

Frank Dobson: To ask the Attorney-General how many jobs formerly in the Law Officers' Departments and their public bodies were transferred to the private sector in 2011-12.

Edward Garnier: None.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to request that custodial sentences handed down to foreign nationals be served in prison in their own countries.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service has no power to request that a prisoner should serve their sentence in a foreign jurisdiction. Decisions on prisoner transfer agreements are a matter for the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke).

WALES

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps her Department took to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

David Jones: The Wales Office is provided with its corporate and estates management services by the Ministry of Justice, and so is contained within that Ministry's sustainability framework and targets and participates in its environmental initiatives.
	Specific steps the Wales Office has implemented include: encouraging greater use of video conferencing facilities rather than travelling; replacing IT equipment with more energy-efficient models; providing better facilities for the collection of recyclable materials, and improving the range of materials that are recycled; and, where possible, installing automatic lighting that switches off lights when the room is unoccupied.

Complaints

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many complaints about the work of her Department were received in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: None.

Local Government: Assets

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has held with (a) Welsh Ministers and (b) other groups, organisations or individuals on the criteria for being listed as an asset of community value in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I regularly have discussions with a range of people including Welsh Ministers on matters that affect Wales. I have met with the Welsh Minister for Local Government and Communities to discuss issues within the Localism Act 2011 including assets of community value, and we held a joint briefing session for MPs on the then Bill's framework powers. The Localism Act 2011 gives employees, community and voluntary groups and parish councils the power to develop proposals on how services can be run differently or better, and to give groups the time they need to prepare effective bids for running public services. In Wales, wherever details are left for delegated powers under the Act, the Welsh Government will produce regulations specific to Wales in due course.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many items of equipment valued at £10,000 or more her Department lost in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: None.

Newspaper Press

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has held with (a) Welsh Ministers and (b) any other groups, organisations or individuals on the printed news media in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), has regular meetings with ministerial colleagues in HM Government, the Welsh Government, and other interested parties about issues affecting Wales, and has recently visited Media Wales in Cardiff and the South Wales Argus in Newport.
	The Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), has also organised a Q&A session with local newspaper groups for all Westminster MPs to be held on 23 May.

PRIME MINISTER

South East Asia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what the names and company affiliations are of those who accompanied him on his recent visit to Indonesia.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Prime Minister what the names and company affiliations are of those who accompanied him on his recent visit to Malaysia.

David Cameron: I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses a list of the delegation that accompanied me to South East Asia.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bomb Disposal

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  on what dates he met the Secretary of State for Defence to discuss the deployment of army bomb disposal teams in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the liaison between the Police Service for Northern Ireland and army bomb disposal teams in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what responsibility his Department has for army bomb disposal teams in Northern Ireland and their deployment; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Explosive Ordnance Disposal in Northern Ireland is provided by the military in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I understand that there is a high level of cooperation on this very important matter and that the excellent working relationship allows for the delivery of a high quality of service as and when the need arises.
	The operation and funding of equipment and support for these teams is a matter for the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), who I meet regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the deployment of the Ammunition Technical Officers in Northern Ireland.

Terrorism

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the additional £200 million given to the Police Service for Northern Ireland to fight terrorism was allocated in February 2011.

Owen Paterson: The Police Service of Northern Ireland received a one off additional £199.5 million from the HM Treasury Reserve to help protect the people of Northern Ireland and tackle the terrorist threat. This funding is spread over four years (2011-15) and will enhance the PSNI’s ability to proactively tackle the terrorist threat.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information he holds on the contribution to global warming made by emissions of black carbon (a) within the EU and (b) worldwide.

Gregory Barker: Research reported in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4, 2007) indicated that black carbon emitted into the atmosphere by fossil fuel, biofuel and biomass burning has contributed +0.34 +/-0.25Wm(-2 )of the change in total radiative forcing globally since 1750. There is also a smaller warming effect due to the deposition of black carbon on surface snow and ice, which the IPCC AR4 estimated to be about +0.1 +/-0.1 W/m(2).
	In the same period, European black carbon emissions have contributed about 11% of global emissions and therefore approximately 11% of the total warming due to black carbon.
	By comparison, the total warming effect from long-lived greenhouse gases was estimated by the IPCC to be +2.64Wm(-2), making black carbon the second largest warming influence upon the climate.

Carbon Sequestration

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria he plans to use to assess the environmental effects of projects eligible for funding under the carbon capture and storage commercialisation programme prior to award decisions being made.

Gregory Barker: The question of whether or not a project which may have an adverse impact on the environment can proceed is primarily one for the authorities responsible for granting the necessary consents, permits and licences. However, the assessment of projects will include consideration of: their compatibility with the surrounding environment, and their ability to meet appropriate environment, health and safety, requirements; the developer's ability to ensure that permitting, planning and environmental issues are sufficiently addressed; the adequacy of the environmental management plan and the robustness of the bidder's permitting and consultation strategy.

Carbon Sequestration

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether an award of funding under the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Commercialisation Programme may be given to proposals for power plants which have not yet gained project consent.

Gregory Barker: All bidders submitting projects under the CCS programme have been asked to demonstrate how they will achieve all necessary consents, licences and permits required to build and operate a project. Projects will then be evaluated on their ability to ensure that these issues will be addressed in time to implement the project in accordance with the agreed programme. Clearly, evidence that a project already has necessary consents will be evaluated positively, and a project which could not demonstrate a realistic prospect of obtaining necessary consents on agreed timescales would not be funded. Where a project is selected for funding, evidence that any outstanding key consents, licences and permits are in place will be required before the contract takes effect.

Carbon Sequestration

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Office of Carbon Capture and Storage would consider awarding funding through the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Commercialisation Programme to projects which may have an adverse impact on a designated wildlife site.

Gregory Barker: The question of whether or not a project which may have an adverse impact on a designated wildlife site can proceed is primarily one for the authorities responsible for granting the necessary environmental consents, permits and licences. However, all bidders submitting proposals for the funding of projects under the CCS programme are asked to provide information about how they will achieve all necessary consents, licences and permits required to build and operate a project, including those relating to the environmental impact of the proposal. This information will be taken, into account in the assessment used to determine which projects are awarded funding, and clearly a project which could not demonstrate a realistic prospect of obtaining necessary environmental consents would not be funded.

Carbon Sequestration

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which companies were represented at the Bidder Event for the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Commercialisation Programme held on 4 April 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Carbon Capture and Storage industry day on 4 April was one of a number of engagements the Department had with industry to explain the approach to the CCS competition and to gauge interest. Given that for some companies their attendance may have been commercially sensitive we would not normally disclose a list of attendees.
	We have however now completed this process and, on 16 May, the Department published a list of companies that have signalled their intention to apply to the new CCS competition. Details are on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_060/pn12_060.aspx

Complaints

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints about the work of his Department and each of its non-departmental public bodies were received in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), can advise that DECC has received one official complaint about a civil servant in 2010-11.
	We have also received:
	One complaint about the Boiler Scrappage Scheme in 2010-11; and
	1,061 complaints relating to Warm Front in 2010-11 and 1,267 in 2011-12. These include both phone calls and those in writing, 26 of these cases were escalated through DECC's internal appeal process.
	Our NDPB's have reported the following complaints:
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) received 4 complaints in 2010-11 (three of these from the same person) and four complaints in 2011-12. The Coal Authority have received seven complaints in 2010-11 and eight complaints in 2011-12.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) does not hold details of the previous employment of its staff on a central database. Searching individual records to find this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Energy: Housing

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential contribution to green home improvement of employee benefit schemes.

Gregory Barker: We look carefully at all ideas for encouraging uptake, including a range of possible proposals for workplace initiatives.

Energy: Meters

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's estimate is of the likely cost of the smart meter programme; how many meters will be installed; and where such meters will be manufactured.

Charles Hendry: The roll-out of smart metering is projected to cost £11.5 billion, and deliver benefits of £18.6 billion. It will involve the installation of some 53 million smart electricity and gas meters in approximately 30 million premises.
	The roll-out of smart meters will be carried out by the energy suppliers and each supplier is responsible for sourcing meters for their customers; a range of smart meter manufacturers are available to energy suppliers both within the UK and globally.

Energy: Prices

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to reform domestic energy pricing to ensure higher charges are paid for higher consumption.

Charles Hendry: I currently have no plans to reform domestic energy pricing in this way. A risk of this kind of pricing approach is that it could make the energy needs of some vulnerable households, such as elderly and disabled people, more expensive to fulfil. This would especially be the case where a relatively high need for energy is accompanied by low levels of energy efficiency.

Fossil Fuels: Subsidies

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions took place at the Clean Energy Ministerial meeting on global fossil fuel subsidy reform on 25 and 26 April 2012.

Gregory Barker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry), gave him on 17 January 2012, Official Report, columns 679-80W, that fossil fuel subsidy reform was not explicitly on the agenda of the Clean Energy Ministerial. However there was some limited discussion on fossil fuel subsidy reform in the light of the presentation from the International Energy Agency on its publication ‘Tracking Clean Energy Progress' which outlined the need to level the playing field for clean energy technologies by, among others things:
	‘building on G20 efforts to phase out the use of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, while ensuring access to affordable energy for all citizens'.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many items of equipment valued at £10,000 or more his Department lost in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: No items of equipment valued at £10,000 or more have been lost by the Department in 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Meetings

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what dates (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) senior officials in his Department have met representatives of (i) the Institute for Public Policy Research, (ii) the Taxpayers' Alliance, (iii) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (iv) ResPublica, (v) the Centre for Social Justice and (vi) Policy Exchange; and if he will publish the minutes and agendas of these meetings.

Gregory Barker: Meetings between DECC Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website, as are meetings between the permanent secretary and external organisations. For quarters which have not yet been published these will be published in due course.
	The Department tries to keep in touch with policy research and new thinking relevant to energy and climate change matters. Officials meet with a wide variety of organisations not limited to the six listed in this question. I am aware of a number of meetings between senior officials and the organisations listed. Senior officials met with IPPR representatives on 18( )April 2011, 18 July 2011, 5 August 2011 and 13 April 2012, and with Respublica representatives on 20 January 2011 at a meeting and on 26 June 2011 when a representative spoke at a ministerial event. There was a meeting between a senior official at a request from Policy Exchange on 14 December 2010. For meetings which are primarily directed towards learning about new work or research it would not be normal for there to be a formal agenda or minutes
	There are no meeting minutes or agendas for meetings with senior officials to publish.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birkenhead of 17 April 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has now replied to the letter.

Tidal Power

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential for tidal energy developments in Welsh coastal waters.

Gregory Barker: In 2007 the Government commissioned the further development of the UK Marine Renewables Energy Atlas. The Atlas represents the most detailed regional description of potential marine energy resources in UK waters ever completed to date at a national scale.
	The Atlas is publicly available at:
	http://www.renewables-atlas.info/
	DECC also takes a strategic view on the environmental impacts of deploying wave and tidal energy technologies. The Department recently published its Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA 2) which considered Wave and Tidal Energy Technologies for England and Wales and concluded that there are no overriding environmental considerations to prevent the leasing of wave and tidal energy devices provided appropriate measures are implemented that prevent, reduce and offset significant adverse impacts on the environment and other users of the sea.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: The Recognition Agreement between DECC and the recognised trade unions (the Public and Commercial Services Union, the FDA and Prospect) follows the ACAS Code of Practice “Time off for Trades Union Duties and Activities” and sets out the details of facility time agreed between parties.
	In 2011-12 DECC employed two full-time equivalent officers. In addition, the Department had 11 part-time representatives with specific facility time arrangements not exceeding 20% of their working hours.
	The Department has responsibility for four non-departmental bodies:
	The Civil Nuclear Police Authority
	The Coal Authority
	The Committee on Climate Change
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
	Of these, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority employed two full-time equivalent officers and four part-time representatives with specific facility time arrangements not exceeding 50 days per year.
	The other bodies confirm they had no full-time or part-time paid facility time arrangements.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: The Recognition Agreement between DECC and the recognised trade unions (the Public and Commercial Services Union, the FDA and Prospect) follows the ACAS Code of Practice “Time off for Trades Union Duties and Activities” and sets out the details of facility time agreed between parties.
	In 2011-12 in DECC the number of days utilised for paid facility time duties were 218 and for paid facility time activities 38.
	The Department has responsibility for four non-departmental bodies:
	The Civil Nuclear Police Authority
	The Coal Authority
	The Committee on Climate Change
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
	These bodies did not hold this information.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1381W, on departmental responsibilities, if she will list the 17 rural and farming networks; and what the name is of the chair of each such network.

Richard Benyon: The 17 rural and farming networks and their chairs are as follows:
	
		
			 Rural and Farming Network Group Group Chair 
			 Farming Food and Rural Network East (covering much of the East of England) Marie Francis 
			 Rural Network East Midlands Geoff Stevens 
			 Lincolnshire Forum for Agriculture and Horticulture Mark Tinsley 
			 Derbyshire Economic Partnership Rural Forum Cllr Lewis Rose 
			 Food, Farming and Rural Affairs Tees Valley Lorna Jackson 
			 Farming and Rural Issues Group (covering much of the South East) Andrew Colquhoun 
			 Essex Rural Partnership Cllr John Jowers 
			 The Kent Rural Network Andrew Wickham 
			 Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership Cllr Bert Biscoe 
			 South West Rural and Farming Network David Fursdon 
			 Worcestershire Rural Hub Limited (covering Worcestershire and Warwickshire) Pauline Yardley 
			 The Rural Hubs Partnership (covering Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire) Christine Hope 
			 Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network Steve Willis 
			 The North Eastern Farming and Rural Advisory Network Anthony Braithwaite 
			 The Wessex Rural and Farming Network (covering Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, West of Berkshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire) John Selborne 
			 Cumbria & North Lancashire Farming, Food & Rural Group Will Cockbain 
			 Cheshire, South and West Lancashire, Merseyside & Manchester Land Use Farming & Rural Group. David Rowlands

Common Agricultural Policy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made in discussions with (a) her EU counterparts and (b) the European Commission on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Richard Benyon: The European Commission's Common Agricultural Policy proposals are currently being negotiated by member states in the Agriculture Council and, for the first time, by the European Parliament under co-decision. Either the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), or the Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Mr Paice), has attended each monthly Agriculture Council and they have met Agriculture Ministers from other member states to push the UK negotiating position and discuss reform of the CAP; we are working very hard to build alliances and gain support for the things we want.
	Since the new year, Ministers have also met EU colleagues in targeted bilaterals, including the Minister of State's visit to Prague to discuss capping with our Czech counterpart and the Secretary of State's discussions with German and Estonian Ministers during Berlin Green Week. Particular progress has been made through our active involvement with the Stockholm Group, comprising of Agriculture Ministers from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Latvia and Estonia, in which Ministers have discussed alternatives to the Commission's unpopular greening proposals. The Commission has started to acknowledge member states' dissatisfaction and propose the necessary adjustments.

Dairy Farming

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to introduce a voluntary code of practice in the dairy industry.

Richard Benyon: We continue to strongly support the industry introducing its own robust voluntary code of practice which should improve contractual conditions and therefore the balance of power.
	A voluntary code is preferable to regulation for many reasons. It could be in place more quickly, and deal with the issues more flexibly, including those where the EU regulations cannot help, such as notice periods and exclusivity of supply. A code of practice would also keep the industry in control rather than relying upon prescriptive legislation.

Dairy Farming

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has made an assessment of the effect of the recent price reduction by milk processors on the dairy industry.

Richard Benyon: The Government wants to see a profitable, thriving, sustainable and competitive dairy sector. The recent price reduction by milk processors is very bad news for those farmers affected. However this is a feature of a volatile market. This underlines the need for the industry to agree on a robust voluntary code of practice that will improve contractual conditions and therefore the balance of power.

Dairy Farming

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had on the effect on the dairy industry of the recent price reduction by milk processors.

Richard Benyon: On 10 May the Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Mr Paice), chaired discussions with senior representatives from throughout the industry at the latest meeting of the Dairy Supply Chain Forum which came after the announcement of recent price reductions by milk processors. The meeting was constructive including focus on progress in establishing a robust voluntary code of practice. This could improve the management of price changes by establishing more balanced and effective contractual conditions.

Dairy Farming

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1380W, on dairy farming, whether she plans to introduce legislative proposals relating to the EU Dairy Package through primary or secondary legislation; and whether legislative proposals relating to Wales will be brought forward through Parliament or the National Assembly for Wales.

Richard Benyon: The Dairy Package is an EU Regulation which is directly applicable in the UK. We are currently considering the need for supplementary Regulations dealing with penalties and the possible exercise of optional elements in the Regulation. These would be adopted as secondary legislation. Consultations on the implementation of the package are expected in each part of the UK in the autumn. With the exception of any competition matters (which are reserved to UK Parliament), it is anticipated that separate regulations would be adopted by Welsh Ministers.

Eggs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent of expansion in the free-range egg sector.

Richard Benyon: For some time, the free-range egg sector has been expanding steadily in response to growing demand as public awareness of production welfare standards has increased. The following table shows that since 2000, the percentage of overall production has increased from 20% in 2000 to almost 50% in the first quarter of 2012.
	
		
			  Percentage of production by egg type 
			  Intensive Free Range Other 
			 2000 72 20 7 
			 2001 70 23 7 
			 2002 69 24 7 
			 2003 69 24 6 
			 2004 66 27 7 
			 2005 63 30 6 
			 2006 63 27 10 
			 2007 62 28 10 
			 2008 58 32 9 
			 2009 55 37 8 
			 2010 50 42 8 
			 2011 49 44 7 
			 2012 Q1 48 46 6

Flood Control

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps she is taking to manage and mitigate the long-term risk of flooding in the UK from (a) heavy rainfall, (b) river flooding and (c) coastal flooding.

Richard Benyon: This Government will spend £2.17 billion on managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion over this spending period (April 2011 to March 2015). This includes investment in understanding the risks of flooding through better risk mapping, flood forecasting and warnings and heightening public awareness of flood risk; investment in flood defences and strategic planning; and investment in emergency response capabilities.
	We have prioritised areas of severe flood and coastal erosion risk, and households in deprived communities. Risk management authorities are on track to exceed the goal of better protecting 145,000 homes by 2015. Around 100,000 of these will be in areas of significant flood risk.

Floods: Insurance

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she is taking steps to ensure that flood insurance continues to be available as a feature of standard household and small business policies after the expiration of the Statement of Principles agreement between the UK Government and devolved governments and the insurance industry on 30 June 2013.

Richard Benyon: In 2008 the Government and the insurance industry agreed that the existing Statement of Principles would expire on 30 June 2013. A new shared understanding is being developed that sets out more clearly what individual customers can expect from their insurer and the Government. It will also reinforce the principle that action taken by communities, individuals, Government and businesses to reduce flood risk will be the best way of keeping insurance terms affordable into the future.
	In the current spending period, the Government is spending over £2.17 billion on flood and coastal erosion risk management, thus offering better protection to over 145,000 homes.
	We are also considering the case for additional measures to help safeguard the affordability of flood insurance. We are in intensive negotiations with the insurance industry and will provide a further update in the near future.

Marine Conservation Zones

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to put in place interim measures to prevent damage to conservation features in recommended marine conservation zones in the North sea; and if she will release a timetable setting out when she expects all 127 recommended marine conservation zones to be protected through formal designation.

Richard Benyon: The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 sets out the provisions and responsibilities in relation to the protection of marine conservation zones (MCZs). Section 125 of the Act places a duty on public authorities to exercise their functions in a manner that best furthers (or least hinders) the conservation objective of MCZs. Under section 132 of the Act, the Marine Management Organisation has powers to introduce interim byelaws for the purposes of protecting any feature where there are, or may be, reasons for the Secretary of State to consider whether to designate the area as an MCZ, and there is an urgent need to protect the feature.
	I made a written ministerial statement to the House of Commons on 15 November 2011, Official Report, columns 35-36WS, setting out the timetable for the designation of marine conservation zones. The full statement can be found in the Libraries of the House.

Meat: Contamination

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) her European counterparts and (b) the EU Commission on the decision to ban desinewed meat in the European Union.

Richard Benyon: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office have played the lead role on behalf of the UK Government in explaining to the Commission the full impact of their decision to introduce a moratorium on desinewed meat and presenting the scientific case for UK practices. This has resulted in Commission agreement to a staged introduction of the moratorium in the UK rather than an immediate change.

Supermarkets: Competition

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have had with their counterparts in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the proposed Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has regular discussions with her opposite number in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a range of topical issues, including the establishment of a Groceries Code Adjudicator. DEFRA's other Ministers have taken a keen interest in its development. Officials of both Departments have been in regular communication throughout the development of the proposed Adjudicator to ensure the views of DEFRA Ministers have been taken into account.

UN Conference on Sustainable Development

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with children's charities working in the developing world on priorities for the Rio Earth Summit; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), is leading the Government's preparations for Rio+20. An essential element of this involves consultation with civil society groups on priorities for the Conference, including groups that work in the developing world and focus on children and youth.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Credit Cards

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department hold a corporate credit card; how many instances there have been of (a) discipline and (b) dismissal for misuse of such credit cards in the last 12 months; and how much was repaid to his Department for credit card misuse over that period.

John Penrose: There are currently 57 active Government Procurement Cards (GPC) in the Department. Over the last 12 months there have been no instances of discipline or dismissal for the misuse of cards. Nothing was repaid to the Department for card misuse over that period.

Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The following table shows the number of people employed by the Department in May 2010 and at the latest period, in May 2012:
	
		
			 As at May each year Full-time equivalents 
			 2010 462 
			 2012 477.7 
		
	
	A large proportion of these employees are working on a temporary basis to assist in delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years.

John Penrose: The table shows the total number of full-time equivalents that have either been recruited by, or have left the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in the last two years:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Total number of new recruits 167.4 
			 Total number of leavers 151.7 
		
	
	In April 2011, 49 employees transferred to DCMS under Machinery of Government change. Furthermore, DCMS has recruited 36 employees on loan from other Departments to work on the Olympic Games. This group will leave after the games.

Olympic Games 2012

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had any discussions with the Olympic Committee of Israel.

Hugh Robertson: Neither the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), nor I have had discussions with the Olympic Committee of Israel since taking office in May 2010.

Olympic Games 2012

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of co-ordination between the Olympic Committees of Israel and Palestine and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has made no such assessment. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) liaises on arrangements for the Games with all National Olympic Committees, in a framework set out for every Games by the International Olympic Committee.

Olympic Games 2012

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to make a final decision on whether to impose a smoking ban across the Olympic Park during the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for staging the 2012 games. LOCOG's no smoking policy is based on the International Olympic Committee's policy on smoking and existing UK legislation. LOCOG will not sell tobacco or cigarettes at any Olympic or Paralympic venue, and no tobacco advertising will be allowed.
	Smoking will be prohibited in all ticketed sports competition venues for the games, including the Olympic Stadium and Athletes' Village. There will be a small number of discrete, designated smoking areas on the Olympic Park which will be located away from building entrances, open windows and ventilation ducts.

Olympic Games 2012

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the makes and models are of the cars to be used in the organisation of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is the private company responsible for staging the London 2012 Games.
	LOCOG appointed BMW as the automotive partner for the games in 2009. BMW will provide up to 4,000 cars required for LOCOG's fleet, including low-emission, diesel, hybrid and electric cars. These will be used to transport athletes, technical officials, press and broadcast as well as National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, International Sports Federations, the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, games marketing partners and others working at the games between more than 30 games venues.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

John Penrose: The Department ran an early release scheme in September 2010 and under this scheme, 72 employees left in the last two years. A similar scheme was launched in January 2012 which will result in a total of 36 employees leaving by 31 March 2013.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse;
	(2)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12;
	(3)  on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

John Penrose: A partnership agreement between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the trade unions came into effect in April 2001. Based on the facility time allocations set in the partnership agreement, accredited representatives spent up to 3,900 hours per annum on trade union-related activities, since 2001 to date. The annual cost of employing trade union representatives for DCMS and The Royal Parks is up to £77,000 for the 2011-12 financial year.
	The proportion of time spent on trade union duties, by representative, can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Trade union activity Number of hours spent per annum per trade union representative Number of trade union representative 
			 Chair 100% of their time 1 
			 Secretary Up to 20% of their time 1 
			 Treasurer Up to 10% of their time 1 
			 Branch Organiser Up to 10% of their time 1 
			 Health and Safety Officer Up to 10% of their time 1 
			 Equality Officer Up to 10% of their time 1 
			 Learning Up to 10% of their time 1 
			 Building Representatives 107 hours per representative 4 
		
	
	We do not disaggregate the time spent by (i) duties or (ii) activities.
	DCMS does not hold this information for its arm's length bodies (ALBs). Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of our ALBs to write directly to my hon. Friend with this information. Copies of the responses will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

House of Lords: Reform

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Leader of the House when he intends to make time for a debate on the Report of the Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform which was published on 23 April 2012.

George Young: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett), during Business Questions on 10 May 2012, Official Report, column 131.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on training individuals to handle and fly the CATOBAR aircraft since its introduction.

Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1123W. I will write to the right hon. Member once the costs associated with this training have been collated.

Armed Forces: Private Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many children with at least one parent serving in the armed forces but not currently posted overseas are in private education and receive Continuity of Education fees for each rank within the armed forces in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The number of children who are supported by continuity of education allowance (CEA) where their service parent is UK based is listed in the following table:
	
		
			 Army Rank or equivalent Number 
			 Lt/2nd Lt — 
			 Capt 610 
			 Maj 1,030 
			 Lt Col 1,190 
			 Col 490 
			 Brig 170 
			 Maj Gen and above 40 
			 Pte (Class 1-3) 60 
			 L/Cpl 70 
			 Cpl 280 
			 Sgt 480 
			 S/Sgt 480 
			 WO2 320 
			 WO1 210 
			 Notes: 1. All personnel serving on ships have been assigned a location of their home port. These figures do not include CEA guardian claims. 2. The numbers provided include children educated in both private, and state boarding schools. 3. Rounding has been applied to all figures. When rounding to the nearest 10 numbers ending in '5' have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals have been rounded separately and therefore may not equal the sum of their rounded parts. 4. Figures provided are as at term two of academic year 2011-12.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been made redundant as part of Tranche 1 and Tranche 2.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review announced a reduction in the armed forces of 17,000 by 2015. In order to achieve a balanced drawdown which ensures that the services retain sustainable structures, the full range of manning levers is being employed. These include natural turnover, a reduction in recruiting, and an armed forces redundancy programme.
	Tranche 1 of the armed forces redundancy programme resulted in some 2,860 being selected for redundancy. Of this figure 1,770 were applicants and will have left service by 31 March 2012. Non-applicants were given 12 months' notice with the final discharges being completed by 30 September 2012.
	Tranche 2 is currently being finalised with individuals being informed on 12 June 2012. As for tranche 1, applicants will be given six months' notice and non-applicants 12 months' notice from the date of their selection. Anyone who wishes to leave earlier may apply to do so.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to confirm the contractual arrangements for commissioning and producing of the Scout Special Vehicle.

Peter Luff: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Scout Specialist Vehicles project is currently in its Demonstration Phase. A decision on vehicle manufacture will be taken in due course.

Chief Scientific Advisers

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department expects to appoint a new chief scientific adviser.

Peter Luff: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Ministry of Defence expects to appoint a new chief scientific adviser shortly.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the difference in noise levels between the Joint Strike Fighter C variant and the Joint Strike Fighter B variant during all methods of (a) take-off and (b) landing.

Peter Luff: Assessments of the noise levels for the different variants of Joint Strike Fighter are ongoing.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1531W, on military aircraft: helicopters, on what date the review of the Sea King Integrated Operational Support contract and the Lynx In-Service Support Agreement with AgustaWestland began.

Peter Luff: The Sea King Integrated Operational Support (SKIOS) contract Pricing Period 3 Request for Quotation (PP3 RFQ) was issued to AgustaWestland on 18 October 2011.
	The Lynx In-Service Support Agreement (LISSA) contract Pricing Period 2 Request for Quotation (PP2 RFQ) was issued to AgustaWestland on 23 January 2012.

Military Aircraft: Manpower

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many Harrier pilots have been re-deployed since May 2010;
	(2)  how many Harrier pilots have been made redundant since May 2010.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 April 2012, Official Report, column 989W, to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy). Pilots for STOVL training will be drawn from a number of areas, including other fixed wing fleets, in addition to former Harrier pilots currently undertaking other duties.

Military Aircraft: Training

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots who are trained to operate Harriers will be retrained to fly STOVL.

Peter Luff: Detailed planning for the training of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Joint Strike Fighter pilots is currently being conducted. It is too soon to determine specifically how many Harrier pilots amongst existing UK trained pilots will be trained to fly the F-35B variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. There will be no shortage of STOVL-experienced pilots with such personnel currently flying other aircraft or attached to flying duties in the US.

Pay

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's officials located in Wales would be affected by proposals for local-facing pay.

Andrew Robathan: As announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget, 21 March 2012, Official Report, columns 793-808, Government Departments are to consider moving to more local market facing pay for staff when the pay freeze ends. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) comes out of the pay freeze in 2013 and is currently considering its strategy on local market facing pay but it is too early to say how many MOD civilians located in Wales might be affected by this.

TRANSPORT

Blue Badge Scheme

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to increase the three hour time limit on parking granted by disabled parking badges for those badge holders who require longer parking for work purposes.

Norman Baker: The three-hour time limit for Blue Badge holders applies in cases where they need to park on single or double yellow lines or in other on-street parking bays where a time limit is imposed. Badge holders may park all day in on-street pay-and-display bays. Operators of off-street car parks, including those provided by employers, are able to set out their own terms and conditions relating to how and where disabled people can park.
	The Department consulted in 2008 on whether or not to extend the three-hour time limit. Many respondents supported an extension, but many also opposed it and wanted the time limit to be reduced. The Government therefore decided to leave the current three-hour limit in place and we have no plans to change it.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Norman Baker: Between the 1 April 2010 and the 31 March 2011 the Department for Transport greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) amounted to 181,475 tonnes. This figure covers DFT organisations (core department, seven executive agencies and one non-departmental public body) that report under the Greening Government Commitments. The total figure incorporates estate, business travel and strategic road network lighting emissions.
	The Department for Transport is currently collating and validating its emission data for the 2011-12 financial year and those figures are due to be available at the end of May 2012.
	Under the Greening Government Commitments the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a 25% reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions by 31 March 2015.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department took to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Norman Baker: In (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 the Department for Transport introduced a large number of measures across its organisations and this information has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The measures for 2012 include some items that are programmed to take place later this year.

Chiltern Railway Line

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) she, (b) Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department have had discussions with Chiltern Railways on reductions in services on the Marylebone to High Wycombe line; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: Chiltern Railways has consulted local stakeholders on plans for peak time timetable changes from December 2012 that are intended to improve the reliability of services for passengers and increase capacity at peak times. The Secretary of State has approved the required changes to Chiltern's Franchise Agreement to facilitate the timetable changes.

Consultants

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 583W, on consultants, what payments were made to (a) IBM, (b) Amtec Consulting, (c) Deloitte, (d) Hedra Consortium, (e) Atlan Resource, (f) Capita Interim Management, (g) Evolve Business Consultancy, (h) LM House Ltd and (i) Methods Consulting.

Norman Baker: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The information requested for pre 1 April 2007 is not readily available and, I regret, would incur disproportionate costs to gather.
	The payments made to the relevant firms from 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2009 are listed below. There has been no material use of management consultants since 2009.
	IBM £30,912,035
	Amtec Consulting £560,439
	Deloitte £643,439
	Hedra Consortium £0
	Atlan Resource £293,996
	Capita Interim Management £24,122
	Evolve Business Consultancy £10,440
	LM House Ltd £418,168
	Methods Consultancy £148,825

Diesel Fuel

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to increase the availability of ultra low sulphur red diesel for off-road equipment.

Norman Baker: There is a functioning market for ultra low sulphur red diesel and we do not believe there should be any difficulties in obtaining supplies of it.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department are working on reducing transport's contribution to UK greenhouse gas emissions.

Norman Baker: The twin objectives of creating growth and cutting carbon run through all the Department's activities and to that extent, all officials work on carbon reduction.

Land Use

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research her Department has undertaken on the scale of indirect land use change.

Norman Baker: ILUC (indirect land use change) is the term used when production of biofuels on existing agricultural land results in the displacement of production on to previously uncultivated land. This is a particular concern where that land has either high carbon stocks, such as rainforest, or high biodiversity value. The Government believes that ILUC must be urgently addressed at a European level through the introduction of ‘ILUC factors' (specific greenhouse gas defaults applied to biofuel types) into the Renewable Energy Directive and Fuel Quality Directive.
	My officials have recently set up an expert working group consisting of stakeholders from industry, academia and NGOs to advise Government and appraise proposals for addressing ILUC. I have personally written to the European Commission on two occasions, highlighting the urgent need to finding a European agreed position which effectively addresses the impacts of ILUC.
	The last piece of ILUC research published by the Department is ‘Regional level actions to avoid ILUC' available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/regional-level-actions-to-avoid-iluc

Large Goods Vehicles

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to prevent unsuitably large vehicles from using small local roads and lanes.

Norman Baker: Local highway authorities are responsible for managing their road networks. We have prescribed a new sign “Unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles” and given local highway authorities powers to reclassify roads for which they are responsible without having to obtain approval from the Department.
	In March I hosted a satellite navigation summit of satnav companies and local authorities. An action from the summit was to improve communications links between the two sides, to enable councils to speedily and directly relay problems to mapping companies. Following the summit, a working group of participants is looking for ways to raise driver awareness of the importance of using the right satellite navigation product for their vehicle.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent employees her Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The central Department and its seven executive agencies employed 18,174.18 full-time equivalent employees on 31 May 2010. Of these 1,960.52 were employed by the central Department.
	The central Department and its seven executive agencies employed 16641.66 full-time equivalent employees on 31 March 2012. Of these 1,627.24 were employed by the central Department.

Departmental Staff

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff (a) her Department and (b) its agencies employ in each parliamentary constituency.

Norman Baker: The Central Department and its seven executive agencies do not hold the information in the format requested.
	The answer could be provided in the requested format only at disproportionate costs. However a table has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing a breakdown of headcount by office location for the Central Department and its agencies.

Departmental Staff

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff employed by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies (i) are located and (ii) reside in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Norman Baker: The Central Department and its seven Executive Agencies have a total of 10 staff located in offices in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency. Of these none are employed by the Central Department.
	We are unable to supply information regarding the number of staff who reside in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency as the information is not held in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Railway Stations: Kingston upon Thames

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the potential effects on female part-time workers of the re-zoning of overground train stations in Kingston and Surbiton.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has no plans to undertake such an assessment.

Railways: Radlett

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answers of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 543W, on aviation: Hertfordshire, if she will publish the minutes of her meeting with the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Theresa Villiers: Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.

Rolling Stock

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the allocation of funding for the refurbishment of rail sleeper stock; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Caledonian Sleeper services are specified and funded by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government and funding for their refurbishment is not a matter for the Department for Transport.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trade union representatives in (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-department public bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: There have been no cases of disciplinary action against any trade union representatives for abuse of facility time over the course of the last five years.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings have taken place between (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not centrally hold records of meetings with trade union representatives.

Transport: Disability

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of provisions for disabled access to transport in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency; and if she will take steps to improve access.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State has made no recent assessment of the adequacy of provisions for disabled access to transport in the London borough of Bexley.
	The borough will benefit from the increase in the number of accessible buses and trains that are required by regulation. Bexleyheath and Crayford stations will benefit from Access for All mid-tier funding following successful bids for accessibility projects. I would invite my hon. Friend to contact the Mayor of London if he has a specific issue in mind concerning other elements on improved accessibility.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in the London borough of Bexley since May 2010.

Andrew Stunell: There were 219 affordable homes started and 327 completed in the London borough of Bexley between April 2010 and September 2011, the latest period for which data are available, as reported in the Homes and Communities Agency's six monthly National Housing Statistics. Data up to 31 March 2012 will be published by the Homes and Communities Agency on 12 June 2012.
	These statistics only cover affordable housing that is delivered through the Homes and Communities Agency's affordable housing programmes; affordable housing delivered outside these programmes is not included. Housing starts cover new build starts only while completions include both new build and acquisitions.
	Total affordable completions, including those delivered outside the Homes and Communities Agency's programmes are published annually in the Department's Affordable Housing Supply statistics available on the Department's website
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/livetables/

Association of Residential Managing Agents

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions his Department has had with the Association of Residential Managing Agents on the regulation of the sector since May 2010.

Andrew Stunell: No discussions have taken place between this Department and the Association of Residential Managing Agents on the regulation of managing agents in the leasehold sector since May 2010.

Building Regulations

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been completed to the 2010 standards (for part L) of the building regulations since those standards were introduced.

Andrew Stunell: The Department publishes statistics on the number of housing completions, and quarterly data on the average energy efficiency of new homes. But these figures do not specify which Part L standards new homes are built to, as when the building regulations are changed, transitional arrangements are included to avoid unreasonable disruption, meaning that for a period of time some new homes will continue to be built to the previous standards.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government's total carbon dioxide emissions are reported as part of the annual accounts returned to Treasury.
	For the financial year 2010-11 (April 1 2010 to March 31 2011) the Department emitted 51,804 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
	For the financial year 2011-12 (April 1 2011 to March 31 2012) the Department emitted 43,001 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
	The above emissions values include official UK business travel, and emissions from buildings occupied by the Department and those arm’s length bodies included in its Greening Government reporting commitments.
	In 2010-11, the DCLG Group participated in the Prime Minister's 10% carbon commitment to reduce office carbon emissions by 10% over 12months. During this period, the Department cut its emissions by 4,129 tonnes CO2, equivalent to an 18.6% reduction.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures his Department introduced to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government introduced the following measures to reduce its carbon emissions in 2010, 2011 and 2012:
	Key measures introduced in 2010 included:
	Installing high efficiency lighting, and lighting controls;
	Reducing operating hours of major plant and equipment;
	Reconfiguring air conditioning systems to use cool air from outside rather than using refrigerant gases;
	Regular fine tuning of Building Management Systems;
	Upgrading telephony systems;
	Estate rationalisation;
	Installing window film to reduce solar gain;
	Fitting power stand-by switch-off devices;
	Reducing number of printers and fax machines;
	Switching off all non-essential lighting;
	Fitting motor and fan control efficiency devices;
	Securing Board-level support for carbon reduction activity and including in selected personal objectives;
	Running staff awareness campaigns including switch-off messaging, Carbon Fairs, and Environmental Champions networks.
	Key measures in 2011 included:
	Fitting boiler optimiser controls;
	Optimising voltage supply settings;
	Ensuring temperatures set points for general office space and server rooms were aligned with best practice (including incorporating “dead bands”);
	Installing additional automated meter reading devices across the estate;
	Monitoring and targeting unusual energy use from data generated by automated meter reading devices;
	ICT server rationalisation activity;
	Estate rationalisation and co-location;
	Publishing an annual Sustainability Report, helping to raise Department-wide profile of carbon reduction activity;
	Fitting timers to equipment not controlled by a building management system.
	Key measures in 2012 to date include:
	Improving control of energy consumption (e.g. using automatic meter readings and building management systems to target consumption in specific areas);
	Carrying out regular walk-around audits;
	Replacing printers, photocopiers and scanners with multi-function devices;
	Shutting down buildings even more effectively during unoccupied periods.
	Environmental audits are planned across our estate to identify further measures to reduce our emissions.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Department has spent in total £13.8 million in 2010-11 and £4.3 million in 2011-12 on external consultants excluding agency staff and interim labour as defined by the Cabinet Office.
	A significant proportion of the 2010-11 expenditure relates to contractual arrangements put in place by the last Administration. This includes the FiReControl control contract (in relation to PA Consulting) which has been cancelled by the new Administration.
	Also since 24 May 2010, the Department has drastically reduced its spend on consultancy. This has been achieved through contract renegotiations, terminations and adherence to Cabinet Office controls on consultancy spending.
	By contrast, in 2008-09 the Department spent £41.5 million on consultancy and in 2009-10 the Department spent £36.6 million.

Local Government: Intellectual Property

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the list of assets of community value maintained by local authorities under the Localism Act 2011 may include assets which are intangible or are intellectual property closely associated with the community.

Andrew Stunell: No. The Assets of Community Value provisions give communities a right to nominate a building or other land which is of importance to their community's social well-being or social interests for listing as an asset of community value.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many items of equipment valued at £10,000 or more his Department lost in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: No items of departmental equipment valued at £10,000 or more were lost in the years (a) 2010-ll or (b)2011-12.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people started an apprenticeship in (a) England and (b) Nuneaton constituency in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: The following table shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts aged under 19 in Nuneaton parliamentary constituency and England in the 2010/11 academic year, the latest full year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship programme starts by learners aged under 19 by geography, 2010/11 
			  2010/11 full year 
			 Nuneaton constituency 230 
			 England total 131,700 
			 Notes: 1. The constituency figure is rounded to the nearest 10; the England total is rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. These figures include a small number of under 16-year-olds. 3. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. The England total includes some postcodes which are not known. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by age is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 29 March 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Arms Trade: Indonesia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation is promoting the export to Indonesia of (a) Eurofighter Typhoons and (b) the Airbus Military A400M; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: United Kingdom Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation has not been involved in promoting either Typhoon or A400M to Indonesia.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Norman Lamb: To collect any such information would require a search of all HR records which would involve disproportionate costs.

Environmental Protection

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the UK's level of green growth between 2010 and 2012; and how this compares to other countries.

Mark Prisk: The Government has made no estimates of the level of green growth in the UK between 2010 and 2012. However independent research undertaken by K-Matrix and commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills estimates the global and national turnover of the Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services (LCEGS) market including forecasts. The most recent publication is for the 2009/10 financial year and includes forecasts up to 2015/16.
	According to K-Matrix, estimated turnover in the UK Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services sector was almost £116.8 billion in 2009/10. Turnover increased by 4.3% between 2008/09 and 2009/10. Furthermore, growth for 2010/11 and 2011/12 is forecast to be 4.8% and 5% respectively.
	The UK is sixth globally in terms of turnover in the LCEGS sector behind China, USA, India, Japan and Germany. France and Brazil place seventh and eighth respectively behind the UK. K-Matrix's 2009/10 turnover estimates for the top 10 countries are in the following table along with the percentage that turnover increased between 2008/09 and 2009/10.
	
		
			 Country Estimated turnover 2009/10 (£ million) Growth between 2008/09 and 2009/10 (percentage) 
			 USA 629,303 -0.5 
			 China 426,610 1.8 
			 India 199,115 2.6 
			 Japan 197,816 0.2 
			 Germany 135,677 3 
			 UK 116,780 4.3 
			 France 98,228 2.6 
		
	
	
		
			 Brazil 92,513 10.4 
			 Spain 87,345 2.4 
			 Italy 85,262 2.1 
		
	
	Global growth forecasts for 2010/11 and 2011/12 for the LCEGS sector are 3.7% in each year.
	Data for 2010/11 are due to be published later this week which will allow an assessment of how much the UK Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services market has grown between 2009/10 and 2010/11 as well as updated growth forecasts.

Higher Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish his response to the consultation on the Higher Education White Paper.

David Willetts: The consultation on the Higher Education White Paper, “Students at the Heart of the System” closed on 20 September. Over 200 responses were received and in addition comments were posted on the consultation website and on a Student Room discussion forum.
	The Department also published a technical consultation document on 4 August, “A new fit for purpose regulatory framework for the higher education sector”. Over 150 responses were received.
	We intend to publish a response shortly, which will include a list of respondents and a summary of responses for each of the consultations.

Higher Education: Libraries

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many university libraries make use of licences granted by publishers to allow walk-in users to access material.

David Willetts: This information is not available centrally.

Insolvency Service: Stockton on Tees

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate has been made of the potential savings which would arise from the closure of the Stockton on Tees Insolvency Service.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 21 May 2012
	There are various costs associated with maintaining an Insolvency Service office in Stockton on Tees, including rent, rates, landlord charges and utilities. The costs associated with the current accommodation occupied by the Insolvency Service in Stockton amounts to £160,000 a year.
	Any estimate of the net savings would be dependent upon decisions individual staff may take should a decision be made to close the office, including transferring to the nearest office, relocation or taking an exit scheme. Taking account of all other costs and benefits, and assuming that 40% of staff would seek an exit scheme rather than relocation, a total estimate of net savings over a five year period would be in the region of £505,000.

Insolvency Service: Stockton on Tees

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what cost-benefit assessment has been made of the potential efficiency gains arising from closing the Stockton on Tees Insolvency Service against the standard of service provided.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 21 May 2012
	It is not expected that the closure of the Insolvency Service office in Stockton on Tees will in itself lead to significant efficiency gains. However, on the assumption that 40% of staff would seek an exit scheme rather than relocation, the potential closure of this office does produce estimated cost savings in the region of £505,000 over a five year period (as set out in answer to PQ 108266).
	The impact of the potential closure on the standard of service provided is set out in the consultation document issued in March 2012 and this is something on which the consultation seeks stakeholder views. A copy of the consultation can be found in the Libraries of the House.

Insolvency Service: Stockton on Tees

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what calculations were made to arrive at the costs of office accommodation for the Stockton on Tees Insolvency Service in the March 2012 report.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 21 May 2012
	An estimated calculation for the costs and savings associated with a potential closure of the Insolvency Service office in Stockton on Tees, was arrived at by using the actual costs to the Insolvency Service of occupying the current accommodation in Stockton on Tees, together with an estimate of providing future accommodation in Stockton beyond the existing lease break.
	The total cost of providing new accommodation in Stockton on Tees, (not including local relocation costs) is estimated at £667,000 over a five year period.
	No decision has yet been made about the closure of the Stockton office and will only be made following a full assessment of responses to the consultation.

Lola Group

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Lola group of companies on the future prospects for UK performance engineering.

Mark Prisk: I have had no recent discussions with Lola Group although I spoke briefly to the company at the motorsport exhibition hosted by this Department on 21 February 2012.

Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years.

Norman Lamb: The table shows how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the last two years.
	The figures include UK Trade and Investment.
	
		
			  April 2010 to March 2011 April 2011 to March 2012 
			 Leavers 723 519 
			 Joiners 307 372

Midland Main Line

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport on the economic effects of the upgrade and electrification of the Midland main line.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not had discussions with the Department for Transport on the economic effects of the upgrade and electrification of the Midland main line.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the competitive strength of the automotive sector.

Mark Prisk: The announcement on 17 May that GM will invest £125 million to build the next generation Astra at Ellesmere Port—creating 700 direct jobs and 3,000 in the supply chain—is excellent news. It safeguards 2,000 jobs and secures car production at Ellesmere Port until at least 2020. It shows that GM is now committed to the UK for the long-term like other global vehicle manufacturers such as Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Honda, Toyota and BMW. It is testament to the strength of the UK automotive sector which has seen investment of over £4 billion over the last 18months.
	We continue to work closely with the automotive industry, including through the Automotive Council, on strategies for sustainable growth of the sector and its supply chain.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has abolished seven non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) since May 2010. BIS has reconstituted a further two bodies as independent charities and these are no longer NDPBs. The Department has established one NDPB since May 2010.

Postgraduate Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to review postgraduate education in the light of the (a) Smith review, (b) Browne review and (c) Higher Education White Paper.

David Willetts: The Higher Education White Paper: ‘Students at the Heart of the System’ included discussions of postgraduate education. Government has taken steps to monitor developments in the postgraduate market as a result of changes in undergraduate tuition fees. Government has asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to review participation in postgraduate study, as part of a longer term assessment and evaluation of the impact of funding changes.

Prisoners: Literacy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans the Government has to improve the level of literacy in the prison population.

John Hayes: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr Blunt), on 15 May 2012, Official Report, column 403.
	“Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation”, which I launched last year, sets out the new strategy for offender learning that we are now implementing. The strategy is based on responses to a call for evidence and addresses shortcomings in literacy provision that Ofsted has identified. The strategy introduces a decisive shift to local decision-making and places a significant emphasis on skills delivery that meets the needs of employers in the areas to which offenders will be released.
	I am confident that prison governors know the importance employers place on literacy, and their devolved commissioning role enables them, working in close partnership with the Skills Funding Agency, to make sure prisoners' literacy needs, as well as their numeracy and vocational skills needs, are met.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Norman Lamb: The Department publishes details of its invoice payment performance against the five working day target on its website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/about/procurement/prompt-payment/bis-payment-performance
	For ease, the following table shows the percentage of invoices paid by the Department within five working days of receipt since May 2010. The Department does not differentiate between small, medium and large suppliers as many small and medium-sized suppliers can be found in tier 2 or tier 3 of the overall supply chain.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 2010  
			 May 94.6 
			 June 93.7 
			 July 93.9 
			 August 93.5 
			 September 96.1 
			 October 96.0 
			 November 95.1 
			 December 95.4 
		
	
	
		
			 2011  
			 January 95.0 
			 February 96.5 
			 March 95.7 
			 April 95.2 
			 May 94.8 
			 June 96.0 
			 July 91.9 
			 August 93.6 
			 September 96.2 
			 October 95.6 
			 November 95.5 
			 December 93.6 
			   
			 2012  
			 January 94.2 
			 February 94.9 
			 March 96.2 
			 April 91.0

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Norman Lamb: BIS’s spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Norman Lamb: The Department is considering using spend analysis tools that have been recently made available to the Department via the Research Councils (UK) Shared Service Centre. Work on this project is ongoing and it is expected that the first audit will take place before the end of 2012.

Regional Growth Fund

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the latest round of the Regional Growth Fund; and what steps he is taking to encourage organisations in Pendle and the north-west to apply.

Mark Prisk: The third Regional Growth Fund (RGF) bidding round opened on 23 February and will close on 13 June.
	To help potential bidders, the RGF team has held a series of events around the country; there have been 14 events to date including a recent event in Liverpool on 15 May attended by my noble Friend Lord Heseltine. In addition, bidders have the opportunity to discuss their project by way of expression of interest meetings. These are one to one meetings where interested firms meet officials in the RGF Secretariat to obtain feedback on a draft application. So far 312 expression of interest meetings have been nationally.

Students: Employment

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to promote the economic and social benefits of employing postgraduate students to (a) private sector and (b) public sector organisations.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funded Research Councils’ work with the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) to capture the destinations of doctoral students (which is published by Vitae in the ‘What do Researchers Do?’ series). The Research Councils are currently undertaking longitudinal studies to help determine the impact of doctoral training in the economy. This information is disseminated to universities and other employers.
	Over 50% of the nearly 12,000 UK and EU domiciled doctoral graduates produced each year will move from higher education, taking their skills into the wider economy. The Research Councils seek to ensure that this supply of highly trained people meets the need for specialist postgraduate research skills in a wide range of employment sectors. Doctoral students have increased opportunities to develop transferable skills. Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) studentships and other forms of collaborative studentships such as the Engineering Doctorate enable many students to spend time working directly with a company.

Students: Finance

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Skills Funding Agency has registered any courses in close protection as appropriate for professional career development loans.

John Hayes: The Chief Executive of Skills Funding is responsible for all matters concerning the funding and contracting of post 19 education and training provision. I have therefore asked Geoff Russell, the chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency, to reply direct to the hon. Member on this matter.
	Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 22 May 2012
	Thank you for your question in asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Skills Funding Agency has registered any courses in close protection as appropriate for professional career development loans.
	Please be advised that the Agency can confirm that there are providers registered on the Professional and Careers Development Loans Register of Learning Providers with courses that include “close protection” in their titles.

Students: Mental Illness

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of university students who ended their course due to mental ill health in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11.

David Willetts: The information requested is not available. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record has information on the number of students who leave university for ‘health reasons' but does not specify the type of health problem.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

China

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister of State was informed of the death of Mr Neil Heywood on 15 November 2011 prior to or after his meeting with Bo Xilai on 16 November 2011.

Jeremy Browne: I met Bo Xilai on 16 November 2011, before consular officials learned of Mr Heywood's death. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in his statement on 17 April 2012, Official  Report, columns 17-18WS, Ministers were first informed of the case of Mr Heywood's death on 7 February 2012.

Egypt: Israel

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his Egyptian and Israeli counterparts on the dispute over a 20-year gas contract between those countries.

Alistair Burt: On 22 April, Egyptian energy company EGAS announced that it had unilaterally cancelled its contract to supply gas to East Mediterranean Gas, a joint Israeli/Egypt gas company supplying gas to Israel. We understand that the parties are in contact to resolve this issue, but this is a commercial matter in which the UK is not involved.

Israel

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Israeli government on progress in the peace process.

Alistair Burt: We have regular discussions with the Israeli Government on the middle east peace process.
	Most my right hon. Friend recently the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs spoke to the new Israeli Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz on 11 May and encouraged him to use the formation of the new Israeli Government coalition to launch a positive and decisive move on the peace process.
	The Secretary of State and I raised this issue during our respective meetings in the past month with the Israeli National Security Adviser and the Israeli ambassador to London. Our ambassador to Israel also regularly discusses this issue with senior Israeli Ministers and officials.

Israel

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the UK to institute a total ban on settlement trade.

Alistair Burt: Our position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We constantly urge the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement activity.
	Settlement produce and financing are kept under active consideration. We understand the concerns of people who do not wish to purchase goods exported from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In order to enable consumers to make a more fully informed decision concerning the products they buy, the UK introduced, in December 2009, voluntary guidelines to enable produce from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories to be specifically labelled as such. We are in discussion with EU partners who are considering introducing similar provisions in other EU countries. However, there is no specific proposal to institute a total ban on settlement trade.

Israel

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on ensuring goods, services and products from illegal Israeli settlements are excluded from EU and member state procurement.

Alistair Burt: Our position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We constantly urge the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement activity.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have regular discussions with our EU counterparts on these issues. The EU Foreign Affairs Council most recently discussed issues relating to the middle east peace process, including settlements, on 14 May. In the meeting's Conclusions, the EU and its member states:
	“reaffirmed their commitment to fully and effectively implement existing EU legislation and the bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products. The Council underlines the importance of the work being carried out together with the Commission in this regard.”
	Full text of the Conclusions may be found at:
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130195.pdf
	We regularly discuss with EU partners our assessment of Israeli settlement activity. There is currently no specific proposal for excluding goods, services and products from settlements from EU and member state procurement.

Middle East

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, columns 752-3W, on the Arab Partnership fund, what projects will be funded through the Arab Partnership fund in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2012-13.

Alistair Burt: For the financial year 2012-13, the Arab Partnership Participation Fund has so far agreed to provide a total of £30,000 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, to support greater political participation by young people, through the following three pilot projects:
	(i) Support to the Youth Local Council, to build leadership, democracy and good governance skills of young people through their direct engagement with electoral processes and understanding of concepts of democratic participation and citizenship;
	(ii) ‘Yes we can’ Youth Forum to empower Palestinian Youth and increase their participation in public life through leadership and advocacy training, (especially in the “seam” area of Jerusalem between the green line and the security barrier);
	(iii) the ‘Youth to Lead’ initiative, to stimulate the engagement of young people in creative forms of self-expression and participation, with a focus on social media.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

David Lidington: Between May 2010 and April 2012 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) paid 97.1% of valid supplier invoices within 30 days, as per standard terms.
	Information on the size of the FCO's suppliers is not held centrally so the identification of invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spend with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been reported in the Cabinet Office report ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On’:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are currently in the process of arranging for a spend recovery audit to be carried out with a focus on UK based suppliers. The exact timing will be agreed with the service provider.

Sri Lanka

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to help facilitate the conciliation process between the different parties in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: The British Government believes that reconciliation and lasting peace in Sri Lanka can best be achieved through an inclusive political solution that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict and takes into account the legitimate grievances and aspirations of all Sri Lanka's communities.
	We pressed for and welcome the Sri Lanka resolution agreed at the UN Human Rights Council in March. The resolution underlines the importance that Governments across the world attach to supporting lasting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. We urge the Sri Lankan Government to take the necessary steps to implement the recommendations of their Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission as soon as possible and report to the Human Rights Council on steps taken and plans to ensure comprehensive implementation. With international partners, we will be pressing Sri Lanka to make early and sustained advances. We will use opportunities, including Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review in October, to assess progress.

State Visits: Olympic Games 2012

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the banning of serious violators of human rights including heads of government and Ministers from entry to the UK during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Jeremy Browne: All international visitors applying to enter the United Kingdom for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are subject to the UK's immigration controls. Anyone who is currently subject to an EU or UN travel ban will not be able to come to the Games. In addition, entry will be refused where an individual's presence at the Games or in the UK would not be conducive to the public good. Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK. Further to this we will not comment on individual cases.

Un Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) (a) to provide an explanation of why the Military Agreement No. 1 and Map No. A4-010 (deployment of MINURSO), have been removed from the MINURSO website and (b) to indicate where this information can now be obtained.

Alistair Burt: I understand that these documents were included in the Mission's old website but were not uploaded when it was redesigned. Map No. A4-010 is out of date as the Mission now has an additional Liaison Office in Dakhla.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are liaising with the Mission to see where these documents can now be obtained publicly, with a view to placing copies in the House of Commons Library.

Western Sahara

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities allegations of torture in the cases of Atiqu Barrai, Kamal Al Tarayh, Abd Al Aziz Barrai, Al Mahjoub Awlad Al Cheih, Mohamed Manolo and Hasna Al Wali who are members of Western Sahara Organisation Against Torture.

Alistair Burt: The British Government takes seriously all allegations of torture and we are encouraging Morocco to take steps to address this type of allegation. We have welcomed Morocco's decision to ratify the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture and encouraged Morocco to implement fully the recommendations of the 2011 UN Committee Against Torture. We are also looking forward to the visit to Morocco and Western Sahara of the UN Special Rapporteur for Torture.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Overseas Citizens: Franchise

Iain Stewart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to review the franchise for British citizens living overseas.

Mark Harper: The Representation of the People Act 1985 provides for British citizens resident overseas to be able to register to vote in UK parliamentary and European parliamentary (but not local) elections, provided that they have been registered in the past 15 years on the basis of residence in the UK.
	The Government is considering whether the 15-year time limit on voting rights for British citizens overseas remains appropriate, but has no immediate plans to alter the legislation.

Social Mobility Strategy

Graham Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the social mobility of poorer children of the work of the ministerial group on the Government's social mobility strategy.

Nicholas Clegg: Today the Government has published a full update on the progress we have made in the last year and the indicators that we have developed to measure social mobility across each life stage, as outlined in the Social Mobility Strategy published last April.
	Since the publication of “Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility”, we have also made significant progress on the other key policies we announced:
	The Government has continued to demonstrate its firm commitment to early intervention as demonstrated by the doubling of the entitlement to free, high quality child care for two-year-olds so that around 40% of all two-year-olds will be entitled to 15 hours of free early education a week by 2014-15.
	Schools will be able to target pupil premium money for disadvantaged children and young people in ways they deem fit to narrow the attainment gap. This could include catch-up lessons, one-to-one tuition or after school clubs. Funding for the pupil premium is increasing from £625 million in 2011-12 to £1.25 billion in 2012-13 to £2.5 billion by 2014-15.
	We have invested £1 billion in the Youth Contract, which was launched in April this year, in order to get young unemployed people earning or learning before the scarring effect of long-term unemployment takes hold. 18 to 24-year-olds are now able to access more work experience places, apprenticeships and one-to-one time with advisers. Employers can tap into 160,000 wage incentives worth up to £2,275 for each long-term unemployed person they take on. £126 million has also been set aside to help 55,000 16 and 17-year-old NEETS get back into education, apprenticeships or jobs with training.

West Lothian Question

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of progress towards resolving the West Lothian question.

Mark Harper: The Government has set up a Commission on the Consequences of Devolution for the House of Commons.
	The Commission is considering how the House of Commons might deal with legislation which affects only part of the United Kingdom, as a result of devolution.
	The Commission expects to report during the current Session.

Social Mobility

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to improve social mobility.

Nicholas Clegg: The Government has today published a full update on progress against the indicators for social mobility across all life stages, outlined in “Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility” last April.
	As well as taking action in the early years and at school, we also need to follow through to adulthood. We want to ensure we are doing everything possible to widen participation at university and access to the professions.
	That is why, for example, we have asked Higher Education Funding Council England and Office for Fair Access to work together, with Government, to consider how we maximise the impact of the investment we are making in widening participation.
	The Government looks forward to forthcoming reports from Alan Milburn on access to the professions and widening participation in higher education. The newly formed Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission will hold the Government to account on the progress it makes in these key areas.

Lobbying Industry

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to bring forward proposals on the regulation of the lobbying industry.

Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies), the hon. Member for Bolton North East (Mr Crausby), and the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms), at oral questions earlier today.

Electoral Register

Bill Esterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has given consideration to introducing a civil penalty for non-compliance with the request of an electoral registration officer to supply information necessary to compile an accurate electoral register.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Registration and Administration Bill that was introduced into this House on 10 May will enable electoral registration officers to issue a civil penalty to individuals who, when required to make an application, fail to do so.
	There will be safeguards in place to ensure that only those who refuse repeated invitations can be fined, and registration officers will have to take specific steps to encourage an application before they can issue a fine. We expect the number of fines levied to be similar to the number of prosecutions for failing to respond to the canvass under the current system. This will provide strong encouragement for people to do their civic duty and register to vote.

Electoral Register

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward legislative proposals in the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill to encourage people to join the electoral roll and to penalise those who do not.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Registration and Administration Bill that was introduced into the House of Commons on 10 May will enable electoral registration officers to issue a civil penalty to individuals who, when required to make an application, fail to do so.
	There will be safeguards in place to ensure that only those who refuse repeated invitations can be fined, and registration officers will have to take specific steps to encourage an application before they can issue a fine, but this will provide strong encouragement for people to do their civic duty and register to vote.

Electoral Turnout

Nick de Bois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he plans to take to encourage a higher turnout at (a) general and (b) local elections; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government is committed to encouraging democratic participation by all sections of society, and through its programme of political and constitutional reform, it is seeking to re-engage individuals and their communities in the political process.
	For example the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill currently before Parliament includes a number of provisions to improve the elections process, which will support the participation of overseas and service voters in UK elections and facilitate online registration.
	Increasing democratic engagement is not solely the responsibility of Government. Electoral registration officers appointed by, but independent of, local authorities have a duty to encourage participation in the electoral process and the Electoral Commission promotes public awareness of registration. Parliamentarians and elected officials from each of the political parties must also provide people with compelling reasons to vote.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Office; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	Within the Cabinet Office each business group is accountable for managing its own risks and is responsible for both maintaining its associated risk registers and ensuring that its business plans and all projects, programmes or activities which deliver departmental strategic or corporate objectives, include the review of associated risks and that any mitigating actions are implemented.
	Risk registers are kept and maintained as is appropriate, at working level. A list of all risk registers used within the Department and its NDPBs is not held centrally.

Weekend Voting

Nick de Bois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on proposals for introducing voting at weekends for (a) general and (b) local elections; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: Records show that 14 representations were received by the Cabinet Office on proposals for introducing voting at weekends. From these representations, I am aware that there are those who argue that moving voting to the weekend would be more convenient though there are others who have argued that it could lead to a reduction in turnout, as people value their weekend time, and an increase in costs.
	The Government has no current plans for moving polling day for either general or local elections to the weekend but will keep under review ways in which the democratic process can be enhanced.

TREASURY

Climate Change: Developing Countries

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what agreements were reached on Fast Start Climate Finance at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on 15 May 2012.

Chloe Smith: The ‘Council conclusions on Climate Finance—Fast Start Finance’ agreed at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on 15 May 2012 are available at:
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ecofin/130262.pdf

Drugs: Crime

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) financial and (b) other incentives his Department offers to police forces to target (i) drug dealing and (ii) drug offences; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	Targeting of police resources is a matter for police forces and their police authorities. From November 2012 Police and Crime Commissioners will hold the police to account locally.

Equitable Life

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the distribution of compensation to Equitable Life policyholders;
	(2)  if he will publish the reports given to the Government on the distribution of compensation to Equitable Life policyholders.

Mark Hoban: The scheme intends to publish a progress report in summer 2012 on the volumes and values of payments made.

Equitable Life

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that letters sent to Equitable Life policyholders about their compensation will be easily understandable to those policyholders and show how their compensation has been calculated.

Mark Hoban: All the letters sent include a statement that clearly sets out a simplified version of the payment calculation. The scheme continues to receive very low levels of queries about those statements.

Equitable Life

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an explanation in plain language of how the calculations for compensation for Equitable Life policyholders were made and detailing what parameters were used.

Mark Hoban: In May 2011 the scheme published the ‘Equitable Life Payment Scheme Design', which sets out both a high level explanation and a more detailed technical description of the payment calculation.
	This document is available at
	http://equitablelifepaymentscheme.independent.gov.uk/resources/index.htm

Equitable Life

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all Equitable Life policyholders eligible for compensation will receive their compensation by June 2012.

Mark Hoban: In accordance with the Government's announcement at the 2010 spending review, and the rules set out in the ‘Equitable Life Payment Scheme Design’ document:
	http://equitablelifepaymentscheme.independent.gov.uk/resources/index.htm
	payments to non-with-profits annuitants will be spread over three years until April 2014, and payments to with-profits annuitants will continue for the duration of their annuity.

EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what proportion of Ecofin meetings the UK has been represented since May 2010; and at what proportion of such meetings the UK has been represented by (a) Ministers and (b) officials.

Mark Hoban: Since May 2010 an HM Treasury Minister has attended all ECOFIN meetings.

Excise Duties: Gaming Machines

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the rate of the machine games duty on the (a) bingo and (b) bookmaking industry.

Chloe Smith: The assessment of the impact of machine games duty (MGD) on individuals and businesses is available in the relevant Tax Information and Impacts Note published at Budget 2012. This document is accessible online at the HMRC website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/tiin-0738.pdf

Financial Services: Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Money Advice Service on ensuring that young people have access to good quality personal finance education.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions. The Money Advice Service is developing its role in financial education for young people as set out in its Money Advice business plan for 2012-13 which can be found at:
	http://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/about/corporateinformation/publications.aspx

Financial Services: Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will read the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People report on Financial Education and the Curriculum.

Mark Hoban: As part of the policy making process Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of interested parties. The school curriculum is the responsibility of the Department for Education. Through the National Curriculum Review the Department for Education (DFE) is developing the new mathematics curriculum and is aware of the interest in personal finance being included in the programme of study. DFE's review of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education will consider whether any aspects of PSHE, such as personal financial education, should become statutory as part of the basic curriculum. Proposals from both reviews will be published later this year.

Income Tax

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who will move into the higher tax bracket as a result of changes to tax thresholds.

David Gauke: Estimates of the number of individuals liable to higher rate income tax by country and region in tax years to 2012-13 are published on the HMRC website in Table 2.2 ‘Number of individual income taxpayers by marginal rate, gender and age, by country and region, 1999-2000 to 2012-13’:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-2.xls
	These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) outturn data up to 2009-10, and then 2009-10 SPI data projected in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2012 economic and fiscal outlook.
	Reliable projections beyond the 2009-10 outturn are not available at the parliamentary constituency level, due to greater uncertainties in making projections for small geographical areas.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available.

Chloe Smith: The number of full-time equivalents employed in HM Treasury as at 31 May 2010 was 1,363. The number of full-time equivalents employed as at 31 March 2012 was 1,178.

National Insurance Contributions

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate has been made of the number of businesses in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency which have participated in the national insurance holiday.

David Gauke: HMRC has so far received around 16,000 applications for the NICs holiday across the UK, and around 2,300 applications in Scotland.
	The most recent figure for Kilmarnock and Loudoun is 22 applications in the 2010-11 tax year, as set out in the factsheet laid in the House of Commons Library in November 2011. The factsheet provided a breakdown by constituency, information on the amounts claimed and jobs supported for the first tax year of the scheme. An update will be published later in the year after the claims for the 2011-12 tax year have been processed.

Non-domestic Rates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the business rate relief scheme to 2015; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: At the autumn statement, 29 November 2011, Official  Report, columns 799-810, the Government extended the small business rate relief holiday for a further six months from 1 October 2012. The small business rate relief scheme provides targeted support and benefits over half a million small businesses. Of those, 330,000 receive 100% relief and will not have to pay any business rates until April 2013 as a result of the six month extension.
	The Government keeps all taxes and reliefs under review. Any further business rates support needs to be balanced against the tough decisions needed to reduce the deficit.

Bank of England: Office Costs

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what costs have been incurred by the Financial Services Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in relocating to and fitting out the new Moorgate offices; and what the total cost will be of the lease of the new offices to the Financial Services Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (a) in each of the next five financial years and (b) over the lifetime of the lease agreement.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Bank of England has incurred costs of £5 million, including both actual and committed spend, on the design, fit out and IT for the Prudential Regulation Authority's new offices in Moorgate. The FSA has not incurred any costs in relation to Moorgate.
	The terms of the lease are commercially sensitive. However the total rent incurred by the Bank over the 15-year life of the lease will be £80 million (excluding VAT). This is subject to the outcome of regular rent reviews. During the first five years the Bank will benefit from a rent-free period.

Public Appointments

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appointments of people earning over (a) £142,500 per annum and (b) £142,500 per annum pro rata he approved between (i) April 2010 and March 2011 and (ii) April 2011 and December 2012; and how many such appointments were in respect of GPs working in clinical commissioning groups.

Danny Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 April 2012, Official Report, column 840W.

Public Sector Debt

Tom Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government plans to borrow up to 2015.

Chloe Smith: The Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2012 Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) sets out outturn figures and forecasts for public sector net borrowing from 2010-11 to 2015-16 in Table 4.29.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Chloe Smith: Details of HM Treasury recruitments and redundancies for 2010-11 were published in its latest Annual Report and Accounts (HC 984). Figures for 2011-12 will be published in the coming months.
	The number of departmental staff who have accepted redundancy terms in the last two years have been fewer than five. It is the Treasury's policy for reasons of confidentiality not to release full details relating to numbers of staff fewer than five, where to do so might lead to the identification of individual cases.

Research: Finance

Esther McVey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 602W, on research: funding, what support the Chancellor of the Exchequer is providing to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises in the area of research and development.

David Gauke: Research and Development (R&D) by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is supported by a number of Treasury policies.
	The tax system provides R&D tax credits and the SME scheme rate of relief was increased from 175% to 200% from 1 April 2011 and to 225% from 1 April 2012.
	SME R&D is also supported by public spending. The Technology Strategy Board's budget of £317 million in 2011-12 focused on supporting private sector research, development and innovation, including programmes such as SMART which joint-funds SME R&D projects. The autumn statement given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, provided an additional £75 million to support technology-based SMEs to develop, demonstrate and commercialise new products and services. In December 2011, the Government announced a £180 million Biomedical Catalyst Fund that will provide support to SMEs or academics looking to develop innovative solutions to health care challenges.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department will take steps to extend the HM Revenue and Customs secure online login system to (a) enable individuals to view and update their personal details and (b) review and update the end-to-end data and information management requirements as part of the move to real time information; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC has over 100 electronic contact services available to customers, including services that allow customers to update their personal details. They offer a structured and secure means of communicating with HMRC through its website. HMRC continues to look at ways to extend its contact services but will only introduce electronic contact solutions where it is certain about the authenticity of the person sending the message and where there are strong controls around the data being sent.
	HMRC has recently published guidance for employers and individuals about how to ensure that the data HMRC receives as part of Real Time Information is accurate. Details of the information that will be required under RTI can be found on the HMRC website.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department plans to take to streamline the interaction between individuals and HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC has recently published a business plan for 2012-15 and within that has set out plans to streamline interactions between the Department and individuals during the current SR period. It includes as a priority improving accessibility, accuracy and timeliness.
	The business plan can be found at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/business-plan-2012.pdf
	Pages 8, 9, 11 and 19-22 are the most relevant to this subject.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of (a) the IT, National Insurance Contributions and PAYE-Small Business Behaviour and Attitudes (November 2011 to January 2012) and (b) Real Time Information (May 2011 to March 2012) poll.

David Gauke: HMRC conducted a survey of 1,500 small businesses to further develop the evidence base on employer burdens and to supplement the results of the call for evidence issued by HMT in July 2011. The survey focused on:
	employer payroll processes, including which income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) processes are contracted out to agents, and how software use varies;
	difficulties with the current system, exploring which aspects of the current system are most difficult to operate or understand; and
	changes to the system, seeking views on which elements could be simplified and with what business impact.
	The research will be published and a copy will be placed in the Library.
	HMRC is conducting a series of customer research projects to inform the design and delivery of Real Time Information. Specialist research agencies have been commissioned to conduct primary research among customers on HMRC’s behalf. Reports from completed projects will be published and copies placed in the Library.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse under each budget heading of operating (a) PAYE, (b) self assessment and (c) national insurance in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: Estimated costs are shown in the following table. They cover a period of significant change for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise, and the creation of the UK Border Agency. Such structural change, combined with regular improvements to our overhead attribution methods means, year on year, overhead allocations are not consistent.
	
		
			 HMRC administrative costs 
			 £ million 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 (2) 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Income tax PAYE 944.4 949.3 951.5 860.2 838.9 
			 Income tax SA 926.7 (1)805.0 875.7 838.7 671.3 
			 National insurance 338.1 374.0 370.9 350.6 305.1 
			 (1) Likely to be understated because of a change in the way data were captured following departmental restructuring. (2) Costs for 2008-09 income tax self-assessment and national insurance have been revised from previous estimates as a result of a further analysis of activities.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employee headcount was in the (a) PAYE, Self Assessment and National Insurance Collection (PSN) and (b) Information Management Services Department of HM Revenue and Customs in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012.

David Gauke: The headcount for PAYE, Self Assessment and National Insurance Collection (PSN) for 2011 was 348 and for 2012 was 511. The headcount for Information Management Services Department of HM Revenue and Customs in 2011 was 1,316 and for 2012 was 990.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect on the sector of his proposal to abolish stamp duty relief for transfer to registered social landlords.

Chloe Smith: The abolition of the stamp duty relief for transfers to registered social landlords is not expected to have any impact on the sector, as there are not expected to be any outstanding claims. Details of the impact are set out in the Tax Information and Impact Note issued on 6 December 2011 which is available online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tiin/tiin830.pdf

Sterling

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the value of sterling on (a) the UK manufacturing base and its supply chain and (b) export growth; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for currency valuation to act as an incentive for manufacturing firms to relocate to the UK.

Chloe Smith: The Bank of England's Sterling Effective Exchange Rate Index fell significantly during 2007-08, and it remains more than 20% below its 2007 peak. This fall in the value of sterling has improved the competitiveness of UK exports and exports of manufactured goods have increased by 34% since the peak in the value of sterling.
	Since 2008 the manufacturing share of nominal gross value-added has remained broadly stable at 10% after falling by more than eight percentage points since 1997.
	The value of sterling will be a factor considered by manufacturing firms when choosing where to locate.

Tax Allowances: Charitable Donations

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on donations to community development finance institutions of the cap on community investment tax relief and the charity tax relief cap proposed in the 2012 Budget; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government announced at Budget 2012 a proposal to introduce a limit on all previously uncapped income tax reliefs from April 2013. This included the community investment tax relief (CITR).
	The community development finance institutions (CDFIs) rely mainly on investments through the CITR. The Government has clearly stated its intention that those charities which rely on large donations are not significantly affected.
	There are currently discussions with stakeholders from the charity sector taking place to better understand any impacts. This will inform a formal consultation on the delivery of the measure over the summer.

Taxation: Bingo

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on bingo taxation;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received from the bingo industry on the relationship between bingo gross profits tax and total tax revenue from the gaming sector.

Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Taxation: Bingo

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the rate of gross profit tax levied on (a) bingo clubs and (b) bookmakers; and for what reasons the two rates are different.

Chloe Smith: The rates of general betting duty and bingo duty were set by the previous Government. Bingo duty is charged at 20% of gross profits and general betting duty is charged at 15% of gross profits. The March 2012 Budget left rates unchanged. All taxes, including gambling taxes, are kept under review.

Taxation: Business

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many company tax returns filed by companies (a) paying tax at the main rate, (b) comprising the FTSE 250 and (c) comprising the FTSE 100 in relation to accounting periods ending in the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 have been opened for enquiry under the Finance Act 1998 by HM Revenue and Customs.

David Gauke: The number of company tax returns filed for accounting periods ending in the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 that have been opened for an inquiry under Finance Act 1998 are:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Companies paying tax at the main rate 2,209 
			 Current FTSE 250 quoted companies 36 
			 Current FTSE 100 quoted companies 20 
		
	
	The figures for inquiries into FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies do not include any inquiries into subsidiaries or other companies in the same group as the FTSE 100 or FTSE 250 company.

VAT

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidential basis officials in his Department used to calculate the total cost per business of his proposal to impose VAT on sports nutrition products.

David Gauke: The cost to affected businesses to comply with the VAT changes to sports nutrition drinks is set out in “Annex B—Table of Impact for Individual Measures” of the HM Revenue and Customs consultation document “VAT: Addressing borderline anomalies” published in Budget 2012.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/vat-con-4801.pdf

VAT

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with manufacturers and retailers of nutritional drinks of the likely effect on their business of making their products subject to VAT; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on any possible effects on exercise and health resulting from the imposition of VAT on nutritional drinks; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	As was the case with previous Administrations it is not the Government's policy to release details of all such meetings.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects and programmes his Department funds in Afghanistan which promote the political participation and representation of women.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government promotes the political participation of women in Afghan society through the Tawanmandi project. In 2011, I launched the Tawanmandi project which has provided grants to 27 civil society organisations, 15 of which support the. participation of women in conflict resolution and peace-building.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Alan Duncan: The carbon emissions from the DFID, as reported under the Greening Government Commitments (i.e. carbon from energy use in our UK buildings, and domestic air and rail travel) for the two years in question are as follows:
	(a) 2010-11—3,890 tonnes
	(b) 2011-12—2,909 tonnes

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department took to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Alan Duncan: DFID has carried out a large number of measures to significantly reduce its carbon emissions over the last three years. Examples of these are as follows:
	(a) 2010:
	a. Installation of voltage optimisation equipment in each of our UK offices, to reduce our electricity consumption;
	b. Installation of a green roof in our East Kilbride office;
	c. Installation of energy-efficient lighting in our London office;
	d. Improving energy efficiency by reducing the amount of occupied space in our London office and subletting.
	(b) 2011:
	a. Reduction in the hours of operation of heating plant in both our UK offices;
	b. Reconfiguration of lighting systems to reduce the time which sensor-operated lights remain on;
	c. Staff awareness campaign to switch off unnecessary items, etc.;
	d. Encouraging and increasing use of rail travel over air travel between our two UK offices.
	(c) 2012:
	a. Reduction in operation of cooling plant in our London office;
	b. Reductions in number of printers in both our UK offices;
	c. Reducing the number of IT servers in both of our UK offices.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo on the transparency of Government contracts to mine minerals in that country.

Andrew Mitchell: I recently visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and met with President Kabila and specifically raised the importance of transparency in the mining sector. I highlighted the mining sector reform programme (ProMines) the UK co-funds with the World Bank. ProMines supports the DRC to improve the management, transparency and. accountability of the mining sector. I followed up this discussion with a letter to President Kabila in which I set out a number of options of how the UK could help in this area specifically,

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much bilateral aid has been delivered by the UK Government to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last three years.

Andrew Mitchell: The latest official figures for British Government aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the last three years are:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Total UK Aid DFID (share of UK total) 
			 2008-09 89 84 
			 2009-10 117 109 
			 2010-11 134 132 
			 Source: Statistics on International Development 2011, October 2011 
		
	
	In 2011-12 DFID provided £142 million in aid for the DRC through its bilateral programme. (Figures are not yet available for funding through global initiatives and other UK Government Departments).

Developing Countries: Irrigation

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the use of drip irrigation systems in developing countries; and whether his Department is engaged in work with Israel in this field.

Alan Duncan: In a resource constrained and climate challenged world it is imperative to focus on technologies that produce the best production returns for a developing country's farmer in terms of cost and resource efficiency. However DFID has not made a specific assessment of the use of drip irrigation.
	DFID has not had any discussions with Israel on international co-operation in agriculture technology relating to drip irrigation.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to encourage the G8 to tackle malnutrition in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: My Department worked closely with other G8 countries in advance of the G8 to secure ambitious commitments on malnutrition in developing countries. On 18 May the UK joined other G8 countries in agreeing to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition aimed at lifting 50 million people out of poverty in Africa over the next 10 years, primarily through agriculture.
	Under this initiative, G8 members are committing to actively support the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement and maintain robust programs to further reduce child stunting.
	The UK is committing £395 million to the New Alliance, including £75 million to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP).

Developing Countries: Science

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support scientific research capacity in developing countries; and how much of his Department's budget has been allocated to supporting scientific research capacity in developing countries in the last five years.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government recognises the importance of increasing scientific capacity in developing countries, and in particular in Africa and resource poor parts of Asia, and DFID work is a major part of this. Strengthening scientific capacity is a long-term activity. Much of DFID's capacity building efforts have been embedded into our research programmes and projects. It is therefore difficult to allocate an accurate figure on supporting scientific research capacity in developing countries as a separate activity, although alongside this there are several stand-alone projects including; the £8 million Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa (SCARDA) project; the £5 million Health Research Capacity Strengthening Initiative with the Wellcome Trust; and the £15 million Capacity Building African Initiative with the Royal Society.
	Further details of the steps DFID is currently undertaking to support research capacity in developing countries in a range of areas including agriculture, climate change, health, infrastructure and social science can be found in DFID's submission to the Science and Technology Select Committee which is examining exactly this issue.

Ethiopia

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to ensure that UK aid provided to Ethiopia under the Protection of Basic Services Programme accords with his Department's conditionality policy in respect of the issue of villagisation.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government assesses partner Governments against four Partnership commitments when considering any form of budget support. These include: poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals; respect for human rights and other international obligations; improving public financial management, good governance, transparency and fighting corruption; and strengthening domestic accountability.
	The Protection of Basic Services Programme is a multi-donor programme which has very robust monitoring and audit arrangements and we are confident that these systems will prevent any misuse of UK aid funds. Through the programme Ethiopians are now better educated and healthier than five years ago.
	The UK takes allegations of human rights abuses extremely seriously. The UK became aware of human rights allegations associated with the villagisation (or commune) programme in Gambella in late 2010 and immediately took steps to investigate them. In February 2011 the UK led a multi-agency mission, independent from the Ethiopian Government, to Gambella. The Mission found no evidence of systematic or widespread human rights abuses, though isolated human rights abuses may have been committed. The UK Government has not provided resources to directly support the commune programme.

Ethiopia

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to publish the findings of the UK-led independent multi-agency mission to Gambella, Ethiopia in February 2011.

Andrew Mitchell: The Donor Assistance Group report on villagisation in Gambella, Ethiopia, will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	As this report is more than one year old, it does not reflect the latest situation in Gambella. The UK and other donors continue to monitor the villagisation process and to raise our concerns at the highest levels of the Ethiopian Government.
	The report should not be seen in isolation, but considered as one element in and a contribution to the overall debate and assessment on villagisation which includes further research and political dialogue in various forums on the subject. In particular the EU is engaged in a dialogue with Government on the issue.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many items of equipment valued at £10,000 or more his Department lost in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: There were no items valued at £10,000 or more lost by DFID in either 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Departmental Staff

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many jobs formerly in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies were transferred to the private sector in 2011-12.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development did not transfer any jobs from its Department or its non-departmental public bodies to the private sector in 2011-12.

Palestinians

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's funding of the construction of new schools in the Gaza Strip, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that textbooks used in such schools do not promote the glorification of terror and violence.

Alan Duncan: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Andrew Percy) on 16 April 2012, Official Report, 241W.

Public Expenditure

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will publish a statement of his Department's expenditure in each of the last 36 months; and what steps his Department takes to avoid an annual underspend.

Alan Duncan: DFID publishes its expenditure on an annual basis within DFID's Resource Accounts. DFID does not currently publish expenditure on a monthly basis. The Resource Accounts for 2011-12 are currently being finalised and will be available on our website by the end of June. The resource accounts for 2010-11 and 2009-10 are available from the following links:
	2010 - 11:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-measure-progress/annual-report/
	2009-10:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Resource-accounts
	DFID operates an annual results and resources cycle to avoid both underspend and overspend. Throughout the financial year, DFID reviews progress to date against internal budget allocations and the forecast year-end position. This enables DFID to identify when spending plans are off-track and to take action as appropriate. All Government Departments report monthly actual and forecast outturn information to HM Treasury. DFID has a rigorous business case approval process that ensures it has a pipeline of good value for money programmes available to reduce the risk of underspend.

Public Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many new public sector mutuals were created or spun off by his Department in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development has not created or spun off any new public sector mutuals in either 2010 -11 or 2011-12.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Alan Duncan: DFID has only made one member of staff compulsorily redundant within the last two financial years. There have been 58 voluntary redundancies during this period. All of these departures were made in line with the terms of the Civil Service Compensation scheme applicable at the time.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department has delivered to Yemen in 2012 up to 16 May 2012; and how much he plans to deliver in the remainder of 2012.

Andrew Mitchell: Our country programme expenditure is published on a financial year basis, based on a year from 1 April to 31 March. DFID's expenditure in Yemen from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 will be available following the publication of our Annual Report and Accounts at the end of June 2012.
	The instability in Yemen over the last year led to a delay in the publication of our spending plans for the period through to 2014-15. I am currently considering what support to provide to Yemen and anticipate announcing our future spending plans in time for a donor conference for Yemen to be held this summer.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: In the forthcoming months the Government will launch a public consultation to determine the level for a minimum unit price. We will consider representations as part of that consultation.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on profits in the groceries industry of introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol of (a) 40 pence and (b) 50 pence per unit.

James Brokenshire: In the forthcoming months the Government will produce an impact assessment that will consider the potential impacts of minimum unit pricing. We will consult on the level in the forthcoming months.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department took to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Damian Green: The Home Office has reduced emissions by reducing the size of its estate, the amount of travel on official business and energy consumption in its buildings. Building measures have included incentivised energy management contracts, increased efficiency of IT use and investments in energy technology such as voltage optimisation, variable speed drives and lighting controls. A reduction of 14.6% has been achieved in emissions since 2010.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Damian Green: Carbon dioxide emissions from buildings and travel for the Department, its executive agencies and sponsored non-departmental public bodies were 78,445 tonnes in 2010-11 and 73,030 tonnes in 2011-12. The figures exclude indirect emissions by third parties such as suppliers and landlords where the figures are not held.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band is of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by her Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band is of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by her Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Damian Green: The Home Office and its agencies do not hold this information centrally and to provide it could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Credit Cards

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in her Department hold a corporate credit card; how many instances there have been of (a) discipline and (b) dismissal for misuse of such credit cards in the last 12 months; and how much was repaid to her Department for credit card misuse over that period.

Damian Green: The Home Office and its Executive Agencies use two corporate credit cards, the Government Procurement Card (GPC) and a Travel and Expenses Card (T&E). The number of cards held by staff and the number of occurrences of disciplinary and dismissal actions for misuse of the cards and any repayments in the last 12 months are as follows:
	Government Procurement Cards (GPC):
	617 members of staff currently hold a GPC card.
	Travel and  Expenses Card (T&E):
	3,417 members of staff currently hold a T&E card.
	In the last 12 months, one member of staff has been disciplined for misuse of a corporate credit card and a repayment of £41.60 was made in this instance.
	No staff have been dismissed as a result of misuse of a corporate credit card in the last 12 months.

Crime Prevention

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the community crime fighters programme.

James Brokenshire: There has been no formal assessment of the programme. Our commitment is to encourage community activism, with Government freeing up local people to make decisions for them about how best to tackle crime problems in their neighbourhoods in line with the Government's commitment to localism. We believe that communities are also best placed to assess the effectiveness of initiatives.
	With the election of police and crime commissioners in November 2012 the public will, for the first time, have a direct role in determining local priorities and holding the police to account for delivery of those priorities. Police and crime commissioners will be able to use their local knowledge to assess the programmes delivered in their area and fund those which are suitable.

Alcohol Misuse

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to reduce crime and improve health outcomes related to alcohol use.

James Brokenshire: On 23 March the Government launched its Alcohol Strategy which aims to radically reshape the approach to alcohol and reduce alcohol related crime and health harms. The Government will consult on key measures in the forthcoming months.

Crime: Nature Conservation

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK Wildlife Crime Priority for raptor persecution incorporates crime that meets her Department's definition of serious and organised crime.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 17 May 2012
	“Local to Global”, the Government's Organised Crime Strategy, defines organised crime as the capacity and capability to commit serious crime on a continuing basis, which includes elements of planning, control and co-ordination, and benefits those involved. Wildlife crime, including raptor persecution, can be a manifestation of this.

Crime: Nature Conservation

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on plans for the National Crime Agency to assume responsibility for tackling wildlife crime that meets its definition of serious and organised crime.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The National Crime Agency (NCA) Programme is actively engaging with the UK Border Force and other partners with an interest in this area, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The NCA and its partners are committed to protecting the environment and will work collectively to prevent the internal and cross-border trafficking of wildlife.

Databases: Telecommunications

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to include non-UK based internet service providers in the Communications Capabilities Development Programme.

James Brokenshire: The Queen announced on 9 May 2012 the Government's intention to bring forward measures to maintain the ability of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies to access vital communications data under strict safeguards subject to scrutiny of draft clauses. Further details of this legislation will be presented to Parliament in due course.

Detention Centres: Standards

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) inspection and (b) monitoring was last carried out of non-residential short-term holding facilities for (i) adults and (ii) children at (A) London Heathrow, (B) London Gatwick, (C) London Stansted, (D) Manchester and (E) each other UK airport which has non-residential short-term holding facilities; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: All non-residential short-term holding facilities are subject to a programme of unannounced inspection visits by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. The chief inspector's reports are published on his website.
	A number of short-term holding facilities are also the subject to monitoring by Independent Monitoring Boards, including Heathrow and Manchester. Boards report annually to the Minister for Immigration, a copy of which is published on the IMB website.
	All short-term holding facilities are subject to regular visits by UK Border Agency staff.

Discrimination: Ethnic Groups

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to bring forward regulations under the Equality Act 2010 to address the incidence of discrimination by caste or descent in the UK.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 21 May 2012
	We are still carefully considering the evidence available to us, including the report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and will make a decision on whether to bring forward regulations under the Equality Act 2010 in due course.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were seized for being driven without insurance in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Drugs: Misuse

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the head of the Drugs and Alcohol Unit in her Department will be acting in an official capacity to present UK drug policy when he speaks at the World Federation Against Drugs on 21 May 2012.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The head of the Drugs and Alcohol Unit represented Her Majesty's Government when he spoke at the World Forum Against Drugs, hosted by the World Federation Against Drugs, on 21 May 2012.

Drugs: Misuse

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the National Audit Office report Tackling Problem Drug Use, March 2010, when she plans to publish an evaluation framework for the UK Drug Strategy.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Annual Review of the Drug Strategy published on 17 May 2012 outlines progress in implementing the strategy. We are committed to evaluating the effectiveness of our drug strategy and continue to develop the framework for doing so.

Entry Clearances

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken to process visas was by category of visa, in each of the last three years; and what the longest time taken was in each category in each such year.

Damian Green: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			 Non-Settlement Visas 
			 Percentage 
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Category %  3 weeks %  6 weeks %  12 weeks %  3 weeks %  6 weeks %  12 weeks %  3 weeks %  6 weeks %  12 weeks 
			 EEA Family Permits 90 95 98 92 97 99 92 97 99 
			 Family Visit 93 98 100 94 99 100 95 99 100 
			 Other Non Settlement 91 96 99 93 98 99 93 96 100 
			 Other Visitor 97 99 100 97 100 100 96 100 100 
			 PBS Tier 1 82 94 98 88 96 99 87 98 100 
			 PBS Tier 2 96 99 100 94 99 100 94 99 100 
			 PBS Tier 4 81 94 98 81 87 91 86 92 96 
			 PBS Tier 5 95 100 100 97 99 100 97 99 100 
			 Student 79 90 94 85 92 96 95 98 99 
			 Transit 98 99 100 98 99 99 98 100 100 
			 Work permit 86 95 99 89 97 98 90 97 99 
			 Working Holiday Maker 2 11 29 68 77 81 50 50 75 
		
	
	
		
			 Settlement visas 
			 Percentage 
			 Calendar year %  12 weeks %  24 weeks 
			 2009 92 99 
			 2010 88 95 
			 2011 91 98 
		
	
	
		
			 Average visa processing times in days 
			 Category 2009 2010 2011 
			 EEA Family Permits 8.2 5.9 6.4 
			 Family Visit 4.9 4.6 5.4 
			 Other Non Settlement 6.0 5.0 5.5 
			 Other Visitor 3.3 3.3 4.5 
		
	
	
		
			 PBS Tier 1 9.9 8.4 8.6 
			 PBS Tier 2 3.5 4.3 4.7 
			 PBS Tier 4 9.4 15.9 9.5 
			 PBS Tier 5 4.0 4.1 3.5 
			 Settlement 23.6 28.7 31.0 
			 Student 14.2 13.4 5.5 
			 Transit 2.0 2.7 2.8 
			 Work permit 7.3 7.6 8.3 
			 Working Holiday Maker 83.1 21.0 19.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Longest Processing Times (days) 
			  ECS_Days_to_Resolve 
			 Endorsement  c ategory 2009 2010 2011 
			 Family Visit 248 254 257 
			 Other Visitor 247 259 262 
			 Work permit 219 243 232 
			 Transit 149 187 175 
			 Student 247 252 169 
			 Working Holiday Maker 256 39 59 
			 EEA Family Permits 242 242 245 
			 Other Non Settlement 244 258 236 
			 Settlement 347 348 350 
			 PBS Tier 1 238 221 246 
			 PBS Tier 2 166 258 235 
			 PBS Tier 4 146 259 259 
			 PBS Tier 5 126 277 203 
			 Notes: 1. Withdrawn and Lapsed Applications not included. 2. Ceiling of 366 calendar days to resolve used for non-settlement cases. 3. Ceiling of 500 calendar days to resolve used for settlement cases. 4. The above figures exceed targets because they are likely to be highly complex cases where the application had to be: (i) Deferred for further information from the applicant or a third party. (ii) Referred to the ‘Referred Case Unit' in Croydon because a decision could not be made at the Post.

Entry Clearances: Appeals

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what target time her Department has set for the time taken between promulgation of an entry clearance appeal determination when the appellant is successful and the issuing of entry clearance to the appellant.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency aims to establish whether an appeal should be contested within five working days from a decision being promulgated.
	Appeals that are not contested are referred back to the relevant Visa Section, which aims to issue any relevant entry clearance within eight weeks of receiving the referral. Time scales can be affected by the standard of the postal, telephone and e-mail services in some locations in which International Group operates.

Extradition

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish her response to the review of the UK's extradition arrangements by Scott Baker.

Damian Green: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is currently giving very careful consideration to the recommendations made by Sir Scott Baker and will announce what action the Government will take in response to the review shortly.

Forgery: Euro

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to EU Council Decision 2005/511/JHA on protecting the euro against counterfeiting, what assessment she has made of the likely benefit to the UK of the designation of Europol as the central office for combating euro counterfeiting.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The UK must decide, no later than 31 May 2014, whether to accept full European Court of Justice jurisdiction over those EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 which have not been amended or replaced. This measure falls within the scope of that decision and will be reviewed accordingly.

Immigration

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy immigration cases are being handled by her Department; and how many new legacy immigration cases were identified on average per month in the last 12 months.

Damian Green: Rob Whiteman, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency wrote to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 3 May that there were 21,000 live legacy cases to conclude, 80,000 cases in the asylum Controlled Archive and 21,500 cases in the migration Controlled Archive which the Case Assurance and Audit Unit (CAAU) will continue to manage, taking robust action to trace applicants and conclude cases where new information comes to light which allows cases to be progressed.
	In the financial year April 2011 to March 2012 an average of 138 new legacy cases per month were identified by the CAAU.

Immigration Controls

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the transfer of additional UK Border Force and UK Border Agency staff to London airports from other locations over the May 2012 bank holiday weekend.

Damian Green: We do not disclose this type of information on the grounds that it may be prejudicial to operations and therefore security.

Immigration Controls: Ports

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the application of immigration law to non-European economic area seafarers working on one-port voyages in (a) UK territorial waters or (b) the UK continental shelf.

Damian Green: Non-European economic area seafarers, under section 8(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, are normally exempt from immigration control where they arrive in the UK as a member of the crew of a vessel and will depart from the UK as a member of that crew. Where, however, such a person seeks entry to join a vessel as a crew member, they will be subject to immigration control and a work permit may be required if that vessel's operations will not involve it in leaving British territorial waters. A work permit may not, however, be required if the vessel is to undertake a one-port voyage which means that it will spend most of its time outside British territorial waters.

Internet: Fraud

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she plans to take to deal with rogue websites which sell illegal driving licences and other documents;
	(2)  what steps the Government plans to take to close down web traders who sell illegal documents;
	(3)  what plans the Government has to raise awareness amongst consumers of the dangers and consequences of acquiring illegal driving licences and other documents through the internet.

Nick Herbert: The Government is concerned about the harms caused by websites that sell false documents. Law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Service, the City of London Police, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Police Central e-Crime Unit, deploy a range of tactics to close down such websites and remove payment facilities where grounds exist to suspect criminal offences.
	Recent initiatives have also included sending letters to websites offering false documents warning them to stop their activity or risk being prosecuted.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many items of equipment valued at £10,000 or more her Department lost in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department can confirm that no item of equipment valued at £10,000 or more has been lost in 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent employees her Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The numbers of full-time equivalent (FTE) Home Office employees in May 2010 and April 2012 are included in the table.
	Machinery of government changes during 2011-12 contributed to the change in the number of employees. These are detailed as footnotes to the table.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of Home Office employees (FTE) May 2010 and April 2012 
			  Number of Employees (FTE) 
			 31 May 2010 29,440 
			 30 April 2012 (1)24,606 
			 (1) This includes 130 (FTE) employees who transferred in as part of Machinery of Government changes when the Government Equalities Office (88 FTE) and National Fraud Authority (42 FTE) became part of the Home Office on 1 April 2011. It excludes 110 (FTE) employees who left the Department on 1 April 2011 in a Machinery of Government change when the Pay Service moved to Ministry of Justice. Extract Dates: Data as at 31 May 2010 extracted on 1 April 2011. Data as at 30 April 2012 extracted on 1 April 2012. Note: All figures are for paid civil servants only, in line with ONS guidelines on workforce reporting. Source: Data View—the Department's source of Office for National Statistics (ONS) compliant corporate Human Resources data.

Departmental Staff

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff (a) her Department and (b) its agencies employs in each parliamentary constituency.

Damian Green: There are currently 650 parliamentary constituencies within the UK and it is not possible to provide a response along these lines without incurring disproportionate cost. Office for National Statistics (ONS) requires all public sector organisations to report their work force data using Government Regions.
	Table 1 provides the number of staff (a) in the Department and (b) in its Executive Agencies by Government Region.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of civil servants employed by the Home Office and its Executive Agencies by region (1) 
			  (a) (b) 
			 Region Departmental Total Criminal Records Bureau Headquarters  (2) Identity and Passport Service United Kingdom Border Agency (2) National Fraud Authority 
			 East Midlands 166.58 — 57.64 3.99 104.95 — 
			 East of England 1,053.38 — 468.02 407.34 178.02 — 
			 London 10,621.68 — 4,697.61 539.02 5,343.51 41.54 
			 North East 853.04 — 114.02 590.48 148.53 — 
			 North West 3,852.18 475.43 535.21 959.03 1,882.51 — 
			 Scotland 637.16 — 223.04 162.59 251.53 — 
			 South East 3,507.67 — 3,059.41 18.83 429.43 — 
			 South West 302.03 — 182.37 17.00 102.66 — 
			 Wales 485.60 — 132.65 158.83 194.13 — 
			 West Midlands 654.70 — 244.46 11.69 398.54 — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,045.40 — 290.37 13.50 1,741.53 — 
			 Northern Ireland 276.78 — 73.30 159.34 44.15 — 
			 Brussels-Capital Region 28.00 — 27.00 — 1.00 — 
		
	
	
		
			 Lower-Normandy 19.18 — 19.18 — — — 
			 Paris-Isle-De-France 56.00 — 56.00 — — — 
			 North-Calais 32.33 — 32.33 — — — 
			 Not recorded 14.27 2.00 8.05 2.22 2.00 — 
			 Grand total 24,605.98 477.43 10,220.67 3,043.85 10,822.49 41.54 
			 (1) Paid civil servants in line with Office for National Statistics work force reporting. (2) On 1 March 2012 the Border Force moved under a Machinery of Government change from UKBA to Headquarters. Extract Date: 30th April 2012 Source: Data View, the Home Office's single source of monthly Human Resources data

Police and Crime Commissioners

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the cost of the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in (a) Wales and (b) England.

Nick Herbert: The estimated cost of Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales in November 2012 is £75 million.
	It is not currently possible to estimate the cost of elections in each country separately. The Home Office is modelling the estimated cost of the elections in each force area to inform the Fees and Charges Order, which we will lay before Parliament later in the year.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether local areas will be able to hold referendums on abolishing the position of police and crime commissioner; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: No.

Police Custody: West Yorkshire

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many custody records were opened by the West Yorkshire police in (a) 2001 and (b) 2011.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not held by the Home Office.

Police Numbers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of change in police numbers on the level of crime since May 2010.

Nick Herbert: The Home Affairs Committee said last year:
	“We accept that there is no simple relationship between numbers of police officers and levels of crime.”
	The Government agrees.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of her Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Damian Green: In the last two years (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2012) 26 Home Office employees have been made compulsorily redundant.

Sexual Offences: Drugs

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps her Department has taken to improve evidence-gathering processes to ensure that tests for date rape drugs can be carried out where appropriate;
	(2)  what steps her Department has taken to tackle drink spiking leading to drug-facilitated sexual assault and other offences;
	(3)  what recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of drug-facilitated sexual assaults.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 May 2012
	Actions to improve evidence gathering are a matter for the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Police Improvement Agency issue guidance on investigating and prosecuting rape.
	The Home Office website offers advice to people who believe they have been victim to drug- facilitated sexual assaults. This is available at
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Typesofcrime/DG_10027698
	FRANK, the Home Office sponsored drug information and advice service, has information on tranquillisers (which includes Rohypnol) available on its website, available at:
	www.talktofrank.com
	Information on the prevalence of drug-facilitated sexual assaults is not held centrally by the Home Office.

Sexual Offences: Drugs

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department's Safer Clubbing guidance was last reviewed and updated.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The London Drug Policy Forum's , my right hon. Friend the Member forSafer Nightlife' guidance was published in 2008, in collaboration with the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers and other key partners. The Home Office has no current plans to review or update this guidance.

Theft: Mobile Phones

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mobile telephone handsets have been reported stolen in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The requested data are not available from police recorded crime data collected centrally.
	However the 2010-11 Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that approximately 800,000 individuals experienced one or more mobile phone thefts in England and Wales in the last year. There has been no statistically significant change in this estimate over the last five years.

Theft: Mobile Phones

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with mobile telephone handset providers and network operators on systems to disable a handset once it has been reported stolen.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trade union representatives in (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

Damian Green: During the period 2011-12 across the Department and its non-departmental public bodies a total of 22 staff had full-time paid facility time arrangements and a further 463 staff had part-time facility time arrangements. The majority of these part-time representatives do only minimal amounts of union work, often for only a few hours a month.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Damian Green: Copies of the relevant facility time agreements will be placed in the House of Commons Library. We are currently awaiting the outcome of a Cabinet Office consultation exercise, due to begin shortly, which will review options for changes to facility time arrangements across the civil service. Once the Cabinet Office consultation exercise has concluded we will review and update the Department's facility time agreements accordingly.

UK Border Agency

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of staffing levels at the UK Border Agency.

Damian Green: The staffing levels within UKBA are 12,886.

UK Border Agency: Pay

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the posts were of those UK Border Agency staff who received a performance bonus payment of £10,000 in 2010-11.

Damian Green: holding answer 15 May 2012
	No member of staff in the UK Border Agency received a performance payment of £10,000 for the 2010-11 performance year. However, three members of UK Border Agency staff were paid bonuses of £10,000 in the 2010-11 financial year that were awarded for performance in the 2009-10 performance year.

Work Permits

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work permit requirements apply to non-European economic area seafarers working in the UK (a) maritime and (b) offshore energy sectors.

Damian Green: Under the Immigration Rules, a seafarer coming to join a ship will require permission to work under the Points Based System except where he is eligible for admission as a seafarer under contract to join a ship due to leave British waters.

EDUCATION

Academies: Finance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how the amount top-sliced from local authorities' general funds for academies was calculated in 2012-13; what the link between funds taken and the number of academies in each local authority area was; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 May 2012
	We announced in December 2010 that deductions would be made from Formula Grant in 2011-12 and 2012-13 to reflect the transfer of responsibilities from local authorities to academies. Local authorities receive Formula Grant on a per-pupil basis and until 2011-12 no reduction was made for pupils who were in academies. This meant that local authorities kept the same level of Formula Grant to fund services to schools even when they had fewer schools to support because one or more schools had converted to academy status.
	At the time of the decision we were only able to make estimates about the growth in the number of academies at a national level, so reductions in local authority budgets were calculated on a pro-rata national basis. The top-slice was not therefore related to the current pattern of academy schools, nor did it reflect the pattern of growth in academy numbers which has subsequently taken place.
	We have since announced that at the end of the 2012-13 financial year we will make a calculation of the number of pupils in academies in each local authority to determine the amount each local authority's budget should have been reduced by that year. Where the amount is less than the amount top-sliced from the local authority's budget, we will refund of the difference. There are a number of authorities where the top-slice was less than should have been deducted given the number of academies they have. To maintain stability in local authorities' budgets we have agreed not to seek to recoup this funding.

Academies: Finance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a timetable for the return of funds to local authorities following the top-slicing of local authority general funds for academies in 2012-13.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 May 2012
	The level of any refund of the 2012-13 top slice paid to local authorities will be based on a calculation of the number of pupils in academies in each local authority. The final 2012-13 academies will open at the beginning of March 2013 and so the final refund, where applicable, will be calculated in March 2013 and paid as soon as possible thereafter. We will write to local authorities in January 2013 to give them an indicative calculation of any refund they may receive to assist them in their financial planning.

Academies: Reading (Berkshire)

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Reading West constituency, (ii) Reading and (iii) Berkshire have converted to academy status in the last 12 months.

Nick Gibb: Over the last 12 months the following proportions of schools converted to academies in:
	(i) Reading West constituency: (a) no primary schools and (b) 33% of secondary schools;
	(ii) Reading: (a) no primary schools and (b) 14% of secondary schools; and
	(iii) Berkshire: (a) 2% of primary schools and (b) 24% of secondary schools.
	In total, the following proportions of schools have converted to academies in:
	(i) Reading West constituency: (a) 3% primary schools and (b) 50% of secondary schools;
	(ii) Reading: (a) 3% of primary schools and (b) 71 % of secondary schools; and
	(iii) Berkshire: (a) 4% of primary schools and (b) 49% of secondary schools.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education's total carbon dioxide emissions are reported as part of the Annual Accounts returned to Treasury.
	(a) For the financial year 2010/11 (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011) the Department emitted 14,887 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
	(b) For the financial year 2011/12 (1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012) the Department emitted 13,597 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
	The above emissions values include official UK business travel and encompass the arm’s length bodies and executive agencies of the Department with the exception of the Young People's Learning Agency as their emissions are captured within shared accommodation arrangements with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In 2010/11, DFE participated in the Prime Minister's 10% carbon commitment to reduce office-based carbon emissions by 10% over 12 months. During this period, the Department reduced its emissions by 21.5% compared to the previous 12 months.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures his Department introduced to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has focused its carbon reduction activity throughout 2010-12 on low and no-cost measures, supported by a small number of capital investments. During the period in question, the following measures were introduced:
	Key measures in 2010 included:
	Installing high efficiency lighting;
	Installing variable speed drives (VSD) on Air Handling Units (AHUs);
	Estate rationalisation and co-location;
	Relocating its Sheffield HQ building to a property with solar thermal and solar PV installations;
	Re-programming Building Management System (BMS) to be more demand based;
	Running staff awareness energy efficiency campaigns;
	Switching off unnecessary lighting;
	Adjusting building temperature set points to reduce heating and cooling requirements.
	Key measures in 2011 included:
	Installing VSDs on heat pumps;
	Installing additional automated meter reading (AMR) devices across the estate;
	Monitoring and targeting unexpected building energy profiles through AMR-generated data;
	Revising AHU Control Strategies;
	Introducing thin-client computers.
	Key measures in 2012 to date include:
	Regular fine tuning of the BMS;
	Introducing thin-client computers;
	Installing LED lighting;
	Reducing operating hours of major plant and equipment;
	Shutting down buildings even more effectively during unoccupied periods.
	Environmental audits are planned across our estate to identify further measures to reduce our emissions throughout 2012.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education's expenditure on external consultants including management consultants in
	(a) Financial year 2010-11 was £19.8 million
	(b )Financial year 2011-12 was £3.93 million.
	The hon. Member might also be interested to know the expenditure in previous years:
	(i) Financial year 2008-09 was £59 million
	(ii) Financial year 2009-10 was £57.4 million.

English Baccalaureate

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of year 10 pupils eligible for free school meals in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area (i) are studying subjects that could lead to the English Baccalaureate in academic year 2011-12 and (ii) were studying GCSEs that would now form part of the English Baccalaureate in academic year 2009-10;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of year 10 pupils in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area (i) are studying subjects that could lead to the English Baccalaureate in academic year 2011-12 and (ii) were studying GCSEs that would now form part of the English Baccalaureate in academic year 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: Information on the proportion of year 10 pupils who are studying subjects that could lead to the English Baccalaureate in academic year 2011-12 is not collected. Information on the proportion of year 10 pupils in 2009/10 who were studying GCSEs that would now form part of the English Baccalaureate has been answered by showing the number and percentages of pupils who were entered for the English Baccalaureate in 2010/11.
	The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Extracurricular Activities: Standards

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote awareness among schools of British Standard 8848 on overseas adventure activities; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have no plans to promote awareness among schools of British Standard 8848, the specification for provision of visits, fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities abroad with which UK organisations may voluntarily comply. The Department for Education has published simplified health and safety advice for schools, which covers school trips, setting out the need for schools to comply with their duties under health and safety law when planning trips abroad.

Financial Services: Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  if he will make the teaching of financial literacy a compulsory part of the planned new national curriculum in secondary schools;
	(2)  if he will encourage businesses outside the financial services sector to support the provision of financial literacy in secondary schools;
	(3)  if he will encourage more businesses in the financial services sector to volunteer in schools to support teachers in teaching financial capability;
	(4)  if he will include teaching financial capability as a mandatory part of training for new teachers;
	(5)  if he will increase the personal finance elements of mathematics teaching;
	(6)  if he will create a database of personal finance teaching resources and volunteers aimed at young people to be made available to teachers.

Nick Gibb: Finance education is currently taught as part of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. We will be looking at the provision for finance education as part of the review to determine how we can improve the quality of all PSHE teaching and support teachers to teach the subject well. We will consider whether aspects of the subject should become statutory as part of the basic curriculum and this of course includes finance education.
	Support from businesses in and outside the financial services sector is important in helping schools with their finance education programmes. In fact, schools are already drawing on expertise from financial institutions, and organisations such as Citizens Advice to help teachers improve financial capability with finances. However, we want schools to have the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver finance education including which external partners to use.
	The new Teachers' Standards, which set out what is expected of all qualified teachers, require teachers to be able to plan out of class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired. It is for training providers to decide what trainees should be taught to enable them to achieve the Teachers' Standards. The Department does not mandate content of initial teacher training courses.
	The aim of the national curriculum review is to determine a core of essential knowledge that pupils need to succeed. As part of the review we are currently developing new programmes of study for mathematics to ensure that it reflects the core mathematical knowledge and skills in preparing students for the wider world.
	We have no plans to create a database of personal finance education teaching resources and volunteers aimed at young people to be made available to teachers. There are a number of sources where schools can obtain such information, including, for example, the Personal Finance Education Group who have a wide range of resources on their website aimed at teachers and finance education practitioners.
	We set out, in the White Paper, ‘The Importance of Teaching’, how schools will be freed from the constraints of central Government direction, including trusting the professional judgment of teachers in deciding on the teaching that best meets the needs of their pupils.

Free School Meals

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for 
	(1)  Education how many children in (a) Bristol and (b) nationally are eligible for free school meals;
	(2)  what proportion of children eligible for free school meals in (a) Bristol and (b) nationally take them.

Nick Gibb: Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Information on how many pupils meet the eligibility criteria but do not make a claim is not available.
	The information provided here for January 2011 is published in tables 11a to 11d of the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011' available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml

Free School Meals

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children living in poverty are eligible for free school meals.

Sarah Teather: The Department estimates that around half of children living in relative poverty in Great Britain in 2012/13 are entitled to free school meals.

Free School Meals: South Yorkshire

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children received free school meals in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley Metropolitan Borough and (c) South Yorkshire in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011.

Nick Gibb: Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the tables.
	Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals as at January 2011 is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011' available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
	
		
			 Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools and pupil referral units (1,2,3,4,5) : January 2008 to 2011 
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  2008 
			  Number  on roll (6,7) Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (6,7) Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 6,829,670 1,076,240 15.8 
			     
			 South Yorkshire 179,340 31,325 17.5 
			 Of which:    
			 Barnsley 30,777 5,707 18.5 
			 Doncaster 41,794 7,229 17.3 
			 Rotherham 39,481 6,764 17.1 
			 Sheffield 67,290 11,623 17.3 
			     
			 Barnsley East Constituency 10,809 2,316 21.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  2009 
			  Number  on roll (6,7) Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (6,7) Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 6,786,750 1,096,525 16.2 
			     
			 South Yorkshire 176,750 31,970 18.1 
			 Of which:    
			 Barnsley 30,150 5,973 19.8 
			 Doncaster 41,036 7,549 18.4 
			 Rotherham 36,801 6,721 17.3 
			 Sheffield 65,762 11,726 17.6 
			     
			 Barnsley East Constituency 10,622 2,461 23.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  2010 (5) 
			  Number  on roll (6,7) Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (6,7) Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 6,796,500 1,184,920 17.4 
		
	
	
		
			 South Yorkshire 175,640 34,515 19.7 
			 Of which:    
			 Barnsley 29,849 6,436 21.6 
			 Doncaster 40,834 8,425 20.6 
			 Rotherham 38,435 7,193 18.7 
			 Sheffield 66,520 12,463 18.7 
			     
			 Barnsley East Constituency 10,637 2,657 25.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  2011 (5) 
			  Number  on roll (6,7) Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (6,7) Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 6,803,755 1,227,110 18.0 
			     
			 South Yorkshire 174,730 35,445 20.3 
			 Of which:    
			 Barnsley 29,663 6,784 22.9 
			 Doncaster 40,487 8,418 20.8 
			 Rotherham 38,154 7.162 18.8 
			 Sheffield 66,428 13,080 19.7 
			     
			 Barnsley East Constituency 10,632 2,745 25.8 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (5) From 2010, includes pupil referral units (when the collection became pupil level). (6) Includes full time and part time pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarding pupils. In pupil referral units, also includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (7) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between five and 15. Note: National and regional totals have boon rounded to the nearest 5. Source: School Census

Free School Meals: Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the publication, “Universal credit: the impact on passported benefits”, when he expects to publish the consultation on eligibility for free school meals within universal credit.

Nick Gibb: The introduction of universal credit in 2013 means that the Government has to change the way it calculates eligibility for free school meals, and we expect to consult on our plans shortly.

GCE A-level: Disadvantaged

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils receiving free school meals were awarded a grade A at A Level in 2011.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Number and percentage of pupils (1)  entering at least one A-level (2)  in 2010/11 who were awarded at least one A*-A grade, by free school meal eligibility (3) 
			  Of those pupils entering at least one A-level (2) 
			  Number awarded at least one A*-A grade Percentage awarded at least one A*-A grade 
			 Pupils eligible for free school meals 2,896 21.5 
			 All other pupils 74,677 35.3 
			 All pupils 77,573 34.4 
			 (1) Pupils aged 16-18 at the start of the 2010/11 academic year attending maintained schools (including academies and CTCs) and FE sector colleges. (2) Includes GCE/Applied GCE A-levels and Double Awards. (3) Pupils eligible for free school meals at the end of year 11. Source: National Pupil Database (final data)

Grove School: Nottinghamshire

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he received representations from the Grove school in Nottinghamshire on its closure during the winter because classrooms were too cold for teaching and learning.

Nick Gibb: The Department has no record of receiving any representations from the Grove school in Nottinghamshire on its closure during the winter because classrooms were too cold for pupils to receive their education.

Headteachers

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate how many (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools had (i) no permanent headteacher in place and (ii) one or more assistant or deputy head positions vacant in (A) 2010-11 and (B) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The following table provides the number of schools, broken down by phase of education, which reported that their head teacher post was either vacant or temporarily filled. The table also provides the number of schools with at least one vacant or temporarily filled post for deputy or assistant head teachers. The information is for all publicly funded schools in England, November 2010 and 2011. The figures show the position on the day of the School Workforce Census.
	
		
			 Number of schools with head and deputy and assistant head teacher vacancies (1)  by phase, November 2010and 2011, England 
			  November 2010 November 2011 
			  Nursery and primary (2) Secondary (2) Special Nursery and primary (2) Secondary (2) Special 
			 Heads       
			 Vacancies including temporarily filled vacancies 260 30 20 210 30 10 
			 Of  which :       
			 temporarily filled vacancies3 240 30 20 190 30 10 
			        
			 Deputy and assistant heads       
			 Vacancies including temporarily filled vacancies 220 60 20 190 60 20 
			 Of  which :       
			 temporarily filled vacancies(3) 150 30 10 100 20 10 
			 (1 )Advertised vacancies for full-time permanent appointments (or appointments of at least one term's duration). Includes vacancies being filled on a temporary basis of less than one term. (2 )Includes academies. (3 )Temporarily filled vacancies are those that are filled by a teacher on a contract of a term or more and less than one year. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 schools. Source: School Workforce Census

Home Education

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to ensure that children who are being educated at home are receiving an education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, under section 7 of the Education Act 1996; and what criteria are used to define a suitable education.

Nick Gibb: Parents who educate their child at home have a duty to ensure that the child receives an education that is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they have. Local authorities have a duty to act where a child is not receiving a suitable education, and for that purpose suitability is defined as an efficient full-time education suitable to the child's age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have.

Home Education

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to ensure that parents who are home-educating their children are providing a suitable education for their children.

Nick Gibb: Parents who educate their child at home have a duty to ensure that the child receives an education that is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they have. Local authorities have a duty to act where they identify a child who is not receiving a suitable education.

Ofsted

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  if his Department will conduct an inquiry into Ofsted's handling of correspondence with hon. Members;
	(2)  how many complaints have been made to his Department about a breach of confidentiality by Ofsted in the last 12 months.

Nick Gibb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 19 April 2012, Official Report, column 541W.

Pre-school Education: North Yorkshire

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many families will be eligible for free early education for the poorest two year-olds in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) Harrogate district;
	(2)  how many families in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) Harrogate district are eligible for the extension in hours of childcare available to the poorest families.

Sarah Teather: Since September 2010 all three and four-year-olds have been entitled to 15 hours a week of free early education, up from 12.5 hours.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, that the early education entitlement for two-year-olds will be expanded to around 260,000 children. The Government intends to take a phased approach to the implementation of the new entitlement. The 20% most disadvantaged two-year-olds will be eligible from September 2013. From 2014, the entitlement will be extended to around 40% of two-year-olds.
	We estimate that around 700 two-year-olds in the area covered by North Yorkshire county council, and less than 100 in the area covered by Harrogate borough council are likely to be eligible for the entitlement from September 2013. We are considering eligibility criteria for the second phase, and will consult in due course.

Pre-school Education: Nuneaton

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many families he expects to be eligible for the extension in hours of childcare available to the poorest families in Nuneaton constituency;
	(2)  how many families he expects to be eligible for free early education for the poorest two-year-olds in Nuneaton constituency.

Sarah Teather: Since September 2010 all three and four-year-olds have been entitled to 15 hours a week of free early education, up from 12.5 hours.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the autumn statement that free early education will be extended to around 260,000 two-year-olds. The Government intends to take a phased approach to the implementation of the new entitlement. The 20% most disadvantaged two-year-olds will be eligible from September 2013. From 2014, the entitlement will be extended to around 40% of two-year-olds.
	We estimate that around 300 two-year-olds living within Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council are likely to be eligible for the entitlement from September 2013. We are considering eligibility criteria for the second phase, and will consult in due course.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not currently record within its finance systems information about the size of its suppliers. To extract and analyse the data on which the invoices were classed as being paid late would incur disproportionate costs.
	For the period April 2011 to March 2012 (financial year 2011-12) invoices paid on behalf of the Department by our shared services provider, 95.20% were paid within 10 days and 99.13% were paid within 30 days.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department's spend with SMEs has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, Making Government business more accessible to SMEs - One Year On:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Pupils: Barnsley

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils attended schools in Barnsley metropolitan borough in each year since 2007.

Nick Gibb: Information on pupil numbers in Barnsley local authority is shown in the following table.
	Information on pupil numbers as at January 2011 is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011’ available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
	
		
			 Number (headcount) of pupils by type of school (1) . January each year: 2007 to 2011. Barnsley local authority 
			  Maintained nursery State-funded primary (2,3) State-funded secondary (2,4) Special (5) Pupil referral units Independent Total 
			 2007 n/a 19,941 13,695 172 140 229 34,175 
			 2008 n/a 19,490 13,575 217 126 217 33,625 
			 2009 n/a 19,242 13,263 238 111 206 33,060 
			 2010 n/a 19,247 12,941 232 72 199 32,690 
			 2011 n/a 19,245 12,656 260 80 196 32,435 
			 n/a = Not applicable. No schools of this type. (1) Includes pupils of all ages who are sole or dual main registrations. In PRUs also includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Includes primary academies. (4) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (5) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Note: Totals have been rounded to the nearest five. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown. Source: School Census

Pupils: Bullying

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to reduce absences from school due to bullying.

Nick Gibb: The Government wishes to reduce all absences from school, whatever their cause. We highlighted our commitment to making tackling bullying a top priority in our White Paper, ‘The Importance of Teaching’. Our approach is to make sure that schools have the powers they need to tackle bullying, and to make it clear that bullying should never be tolerated and its victims must be supported.
	We have strengthened teachers' powers to maintain discipline in the classroom. It is important that teachers are able to use their powers when they need to, as part of a concerted effort by the school to tackle bullying and bad behaviour. Where a pupil is bullied schools should work with parents to keep the pupil in school.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to support children from lower-income families who wish to sit the 11-plus exams.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not centrally prescribe specific support offered to pupils from lower-income families because we believe that head teachers are best placed to decide how to meet the needs of their pupils. We have introduced a range of reforms to improve outcomes for all pupils in England, including those who are disadvantaged. Pupils registered as eligible for free school meals (FSM), pupils who have been registered as eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years, and pupils who have been looked after in public care continuously for six months or more, attract the pupil premium. For 2012-13 this means that £600 is paid to schools for each disadvantaged pupil on roll to help improve their performance. This is a total of £1.25 billion this year and will rise to £2.5 billion per year by 2014-15.
	One of the fundamental principles of the pupil premium—which has been widely welcomed by schools—is that they should be free to decide how to use their pupil premium funding, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for their pupils. This may include supporting disadvantaged pupils who wish to sit the 11-plus exams.
	Schools are also accountable for how well their disadvantaged pupils do: from September 2012, schools will be required to publish information on the use of pupil premium funding; performance tables now include a measure to show the attainment of pupils who attract the premium; and Ofsted inspectors will take into account schools' provision for these pupils and use of the premium in their inspections.

Pupils: Nuneaton

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many (a) schools and (b) pupils in Nuneaton constituency have participated in the pupil premium in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much additional funding his Department plans to make available to schools in the Nuneaton constituency as a result of the pupil premium.

Sarah Teather: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and allocations have so far been made for the 2011-12 financial year only. For 2011-12 the pupil premium funding was £488 per pupil in respect of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM), and for children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months, and £200 per pupil for those whose parents are serving in the armed forces. In 2011-12 in Nuneaton constituency 33 schools received the pupil premium in respect of 2,060 eligible pupils, totalling £995,000.
	In 2012-13 the pupil premium amount in respect of pupils known to be eligible for FSM has risen from £488 to £600 per FSM pupil and will be extended to cover pupils who have been FSM within the last six years. Allocations for the pupil premium in 2012-13 will not be confirmed until June, when the January 2012 pupil numbers are available centrally. Based on 2011-12 data, £1,836,000 pupil premium funding would be made available in 2012-13 to schools in the Nuneaton constituency.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Tim Loughton: The Department has not made any staff redundant in the last two years but has agreed voluntary early releases.
	
		
			 Early releases 
			  Number 
			 2010-11 141 
			 2011-12 177

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department manages its business using project and programme management structures. These organise work into broad programmes which cover sub-programmes and projects. In each of these areas, strategic and transitional risks are actively managed using structures and tools that include risk registers. The Department's Executive Management Board and Delivery Audit Risk and Assurance Committee both review and manage the most strategic risks that have been escalated by programmes' and projects' risk managers.

School Meals: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average price of a school meal is in Gateshead.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not collect this information.
	The School Food Trust's ‘Sixth Annual Survey of Take Up of School Lunches in England July 2011’ shows that the average lunch price was £1.88 in LA catered primary schools, and £1.98 in LA catered secondary schools. Average prices in special schools were £1.87 for primaries and £1.93 for secondaries. The survey is available on the trust's website at:
	http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/school-cooks-caterers/reports/sixth-annual-survey-of-take-up-of-school-meals-in-england

School Meals: Nutrition

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the proportion of (a) free schools and (b) academies opened since September 2010 which have voluntarily complied with the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the nutritional standards of school meals at free schools and academies opened since 2010.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not hold information on the proportion of all free schools and academies, opened since September 2010, which have voluntarily complied with the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007.
	The school food standards, set out in the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007, apply to maintained schools and, through funding agreements, to academies established prior to the Academies Act 2010. Since the Act, new funding agreements for academies or free schools are not required to specify compliance with the standards. We believe that it is likely that most new academies will continue to comply with the standards, because they will have converted from maintained schools that have always met the standards.
	The Secretary of State for Education asked the School Food Trust to look at the approach taken by academies to providing healthy school food. The trust undertook a qualitative study with a mixture of established and new academies, including one free school, and examined the quality of provision to provide a baseline of food provision in academies, and demonstrate the attitudes and intentions of the sector. The trust published its report on the study on 15 May 2012. This shows that all of the academies interviewed identified food as important and a part of education.

Schools: Asbestos

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether an academy trust would be personally liable for an asbestos exposure claim against the academy.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 May 2012
	An academy trust is a corporate body so its members should not be held personally liable provided they act reasonably and in good faith. An academy trust acts as a single entity with an identity separate from that of its members. Responsibility for actions and decisions, therefore, lies with the whole academy trust rather than its individual members.
	Academy trusts are required to have governor liability insurance with a minimum cover of several million pounds. This insurance covers the collective liability of the academy trust acting in good faith.

Schools: Food

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the standard of school food in academies and free schools since the requirement for them to abide by the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007 was lifted;
	(2)  what (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from representatives of academies and free schools on school food;
	(3)  whether he has made an estimate of the number of academies and free schools which are selling food and drink products through tuck shops and vending machines which would not be permitted under the provisions of the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007;
	(4)  what representations (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have received from (i) food and drink manufacturers and (ii) vending machine providers on the sale of food and drink products in free schools and academies;
	(5)  how many and what proportion of free schools and academies operate stay on site policies during school hours;
	(6)  what guidance his Department issues to free schools and academies on the (a) deployment, (b) content and (c) pricing of vending machines on school premises;
	(7)  how many free schools and academies have (a) received and (b) been offered sponsorship or donations from (i) food and drink manufacturers and (ii) providers of vending machines or other in-school snack retailing;
	(8)  whether he plans to take any action in the event that any academies or free schools are found to be supplying school meals and other food which does not meet the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007.

Sarah Teather: The school food standards, set out in the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007, apply to maintained schools and, through funding agreements, to academies established prior to the Academies Act 2010. Since the Act, new funding agreements for academies or free schools are not required to specify compliance with the standards.
	The Secretary of State for Education asked the School Food Trust to look at the approach taken by academies to providing healthy school food. The trust undertook a qualitative study with a mixture of established and new academies, including one free school, and examined the quality of provision to provide a baseline of food provision in academies, and demonstrate the attitudes and intentions of the sector. The report on the study was published on 15 May 2012. This showed that all of the academies interviewed identified food as an important part of overall education provision. Some academies go over and above the minimum requirements and are offering their pupils high quality, nutritional food. The study showed that the academies outperformed maintained schools in all but one of the food standards, but that there is room for improvement in all schools, as evidenced by the Secondary School Food Survey, published by the School Food Trust on 28 April. This demonstrates that academies appear to be no worse overall at meeting food-based standards at lunchtime than other schools.
	The Department takes this matter very seriously, and wants all pupils to have the opportunity to select a healthy, balanced school lunch. The Department will consider this new evidence—and that from the trust's Secondary School Food Survey—to determine how best to achieve this policy aim.
	Ministers and officials have not had discussions or received representations from representatives of academies and free schools; or received representations from food and drink manufacturers or vending machine providers on the sale of food and drink products in free schools and academies.
	The Department has not issued guidance to schools, including to free schools and academies, about vending machines. As is the case with maintained schools, free schools and academies may determine whether to have such facilities, and if they do, which items to offer for sale. Vending machines can help some schools to deal more quickly with busy lunchtime services.
	The Department does not collect information about the number of schools, including free schools and academies, which have received or been offered sponsorship from either food and drink manufacturers or providers of vending machines or other snack retailing.
	The Department does not collect information about the number of free schools and academies that operate stay on site policies during school hours.

Schools: Food

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from representatives of (i) catering companies, (ii) child health organisations and (iii) other organisations on school food.

Sarah Teather: The Secretary of State for Education met with Jamie Oliver on 23 June 2011 to discuss school food and cooking. I also met recently with my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) and his constituent Stephanie Wood, of School Food Matters, to discuss school food. Jamie Oliver was due to attend this meeting but cancelled.
	The Department has received recent correspondence from MPs and members of the public. Officials have also received correspondence and had discussions with organisations, including the School Food Trust, the Children's Society, the Children's Food Campaign, LACA (formerly the Local Authority Caterers Association), Food for Life, Barnardo's, Save the Children, Sustain, Family Action and the Child Poverty Action Group, on school food and free school meals.
	We have not had discussions with, or received any representations from catering companies.

Schools: Polling Stations

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in England were completely closed for polling purposes on 3 May 2012.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 May 2012
	The Department does not collect data on the number of schools used as polling stations. Local returning officers can require schools to be used as a polling station where there is no other available accommodation. Where a school site is used, some schools will remain open where separate entrances and exits can be provided for pupils and voters; other schools will close. The decision as to whether a school remain open is for the head teacher of that particular school and is not monitored by the Department for Education.

Schools: Regulation

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made in abolishing education quangos and reducing regulatory and administrative burdens on schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to reducing regulatory and administrative burdens on schools. The Department for Education has closed 11 of its arm's length bodies (ALBs), five have been retained and one has been re-classified as an independent body. Some of the functions and staff of eight ALBs have now transferred into four new Executive agencies (Standard and Testing Agency, Education Funding Agency, Teaching Agency and National College for School Leadership) or into the core Department.
	We have already removed a range of unnecessary regulatory duties and subject to parliamentary process, will be removing further burdens in September. In terms of other administrative burdens, we have: cut the volume of guidance issued to schools by more than half; removed the Self Evaluation Form; replaced the FMSiS financial standard; introduced a streamlined inspection framework; removed a number of data collections and made clear that neither the Department nor Ofsted expect teachers to produce written lesson plans for every lesson. These changes are part of a continuing focus on reducing bureaucracy so that schools are able to concentrate on raising standards.

Teachers: Barnsley

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teaching staff on average there are per child in schools in (a) Barnsley East constituency and (b) Barnsley metropolitan borough.

Nick Gibb: As at November 2010, the within school pupil to teacher ratio for Barnsley East constituency was 19.0 and the overall pupil to teacher ratio for Barnsley local authority was 18.3. The pupil teacher ratios have been calculated by combining pupil numbers from the January 2011 school census with teacher numbers from the November 2010 school work force census.
	An update to this information is expected to become available in June 2012.

Teachers: Training

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will consider the use of training days for primary school teachers to refresh their mathematics skills.

Nick Gibb: Good quality mathematics teaching in primary schools is fundamental to improving attainment. It ensures children leave primary school proficient and prepared for more complex mathematics in secondary schools. While we encourage primary schools to develop the mathematical subject knowledge of their teachers, it is for the senior leadership within primary schools to decide how training and support for teachers is managed.
	The Government is supporting this by providing £6 million over three years for the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) which co-ordinates and quality assure continuing professional development for mathematics teachers at primary and secondary level.

JUSTICE

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012;
	(2)  what steps his Department took to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jonathan Djanogly: Carbon dioxide emissions from the Ministry of Justice estate between April 2010 and April 2011 amounted to 502,823 tonnes of carbon as reported in the Ministry's Carbon Reduction Commitment submission to the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; this does not include any emissions from transport. The Ministry is unable to provide figures for April 2012 as it is still collating and validating these data.
	During 2010-11 and 2011-12 the Ministry of Justice established programmes of work to reduce carbon emissions across the estate. These programmes comprised capital measures including installing voltage optimisation equipment and new energy-efficient boilers: quick wins including installing timer switches, thermostatic controls, altering set points for heating and cooling and chillers; and behavioural change campaigns to increase staff awareness. Similar projects will be delivered in 2012-13 as part of our contribution to the Greening Government Commitments.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice does not keep a central record of whether an employee has previously been employed by a political party, or held an elected position as a member of a political party. To obtain this information would require an examination of all staff personal records. This would incur a disproportionate cost. All permanent civil servants to the Ministry of Justice are employed on the basis of fair and open competition through the civil service jobs website.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Kenneth Clarke: As part of this Government's transparency agenda, since 2010 all contracts over the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services 
	(1)  who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice does not keep a central record of whether an individual engaged for consultancy or other services has previously been employed by a political party, or held an elected position as a member of a political party. To obtain this information would require an examination of the background of all workers engaged for consultancy of other services. This would incur a disproportionate cost. The procurement of consultancy is handled by the Ministry in accordance with consultancy and professional services procurement requirements and in line with direction from the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has spent the following on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. The procurement of consultancy is handled by the Ministry in accordance with consultancy and professional services procurement requirements and in line with direction from the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group. Any consultancy spend over £20,000 is subject to a rigorous Department approval process which is signed off by a senior official.
	(a)2010-11: £3,908,790.33
	(b) 2011-12: £3,791,233.67.
	The spend figures above are based on MOJ core spend; it does not include any executive agencies, arm’s length bodies or non-departmental public bodies.

Consultants

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 918W, on consultants, what payments were made to (a) Accenture, (b) PA Consulting, (c) the Bourton Group and (d) Orion Partners.

Kenneth Clarke: I am unable to answer the right hon. Member at this time. The payment figures requested pre-date the current Accounts Payable system.
	My officials will need to compile data from two historical systems and validate those data before I can answer comprehensively.
	I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has received since its establishment; and how many of these complaints have resulted in a ruling being made.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	Information regarding the number of complaints made to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal is publicly available and set out in its annual report for 2010, which contains the number of complaints made annually since 2001 and the rulings and outcomes of those complaints made in 2010. A link to the report can be found at:
	http://www.ipt-uk.com/docs/IPTAnnualReportFINAL.PDF
	The report states that the number of complaints made to the tribunal are:
	
		
			  Number of  c omplaints 
			 2001 95 
			 2002 137 
			 2003 110 
			 2004 90 
			 2005 80 
		
	
	
		
			 2006 86 
			 2007 66 
			 2008 136 
			 2009 157 
			 2010 164 
		
	
	The total number of cases upheld since 2000 is 10:
	one case in 2005
	two cases in 2008
	one case in 2009
	six cases in 2010
	Further detail of cases which the tribunal has found in favour of complainants can be found on the IPT website:
	www.ipt-uk.com

Judges: Northumberland

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received from magistrates in the Northumbria area on the proposal to appoint two additional district judges; and what the projected cost is of this proposal.

Jonathan Djanogly: A protocol for creating a District Judge (Magistrates Court) post was agreed between the Ministry of Justice, the Senior Presiding Judge, the Magistrates Association and the National Bench Chairs forum. A consultation was undertaken in accordance with the Protocol for the creation of two District Judge (Magistrates Court) posts in Northumbria. Magistrates were able to make representations in the process via respective Bench Chairs, the Magistrates' Association, and the Northumbria Advisory Committee. In addition to the consultation six MPs have written to the Minister with responsibility for courts after hearing representations from magistrates in the area.
	In 2011 the Ministry of Justice published research carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department into the relative cost and efficiency of the lay bench and District Judges. It concluded that the overall costs of the two benches were broadly comparable.

Magistrates

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of magistrates who have a criminal conviction.

Jonathan Djanogly: This information is not held centrally by my Department. To obtain this information would require a manual check of the individual records of 26,000 magistrates, which would incur disproportionate costs. However, prior to being appointed as magistrates, candidates must undergo an enhanced level CRB check.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available.

Kenneth Clarke: On 30 April 2010, there were 74,194.85 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed and on 31 March 2012 (the latest available figures), there were 66,543.40 FTE.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years.

Kenneth Clarke: In 2010-11, 5,657 employees left the Ministry of Justice and 3,985 people were recruited. In 2011-12, 7,646 employees left the Ministry of Justice and 1,929 were recruited.

Departmental Staff

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff (a) his Department and (b) its agencies employs in each parliamentary constituency.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has staff in prisons, courts, tribunals and offices across England and Wales and does not keep a central record of the numbers of staff by parliamentary constituency. To identify the numbers of staff in each constituency is a substantial exercise that will incur a disproportionate cost.

Medomsley Secure Training Centre

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on reviewing the management of the prison service at Medomsley Detention Centre for Young Offenders during the 1970s and 1980s; and when he last reviewed the case or sought advice on it from his officials.

Crispin Blunt: I regret that I am unable to answer the right hon. Member’s question due to ongoing litigation involving former residents of Medomsley Detention Centre.

Offenders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1161W, on offenders, what the name is of each of the 10 offenders with the most recorded convictions; on how many occasions those convictions led to a prison sentence; and if he will provide a breakdown of the offences committed.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of previous convictions for the 10 recorded offenders with the most convictions, broken down by offence type and the number of immediate custodial sentences received. The number of previous convictions included in the answer are prior to the offender's most recent conviction between the years 2007 and 2010, in England and Wales.
	The Ministry of Justice's guidance on ‘Publicising sentencing outcomes’ makes clear that the decision to publicise the personal details of convicted offenders is one for local areas to make according to local interest in a particular case or cases.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Number of previous convictions for the 10 offenders with the highest number of previous convictions as recorded on the Police National Computer, by offence type and number of previous immediate custodial sentences, England and Wales 
			 Offender Offence type for which the individual received a conviction Number of previous convictions Number of previous convictions which resulted in an immediate custodial sentence 
			 1 Theft and handling stolen goods 245 79 
			  Summary offences excluding motoring 194 27 
			  Offences outside England and Wales 81 55 
			  Violence against the person 15 9 
			  Criminal damage 13 5 
			  Other indictable offences 12 2 
			  Burglary 3 3 
			  Robbery 2 1 
			  Fraud and forgery 1 — 
			  Unknown 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 567 181 
			     
			 2 Fraud and forgery 204 95 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 71 23 
			  Summary offences excluding motoring 54 6 
			  Burglary 38 27 
			  Criminal damage 8 3 
			  Other indictable offences 8 6 
			  Breach offences 5 4 
			  Sexual offences 4 3 
			  Violence against the person 2 1 
			  Offences outside England and Wales 3 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Robbery 1 1 
			  Drug offences 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 399 171 
			     
			 3 Summary offences excluding motoring 352 — 
			  Other indictable offences 24 2 
			  Total number of convictions 376 2 
			     
			 4 Summary offences excluding motoring 341 4 
			  Other indictable offences 10 2 
			  Criminal damage 5 — 
			  Violence against the person 2 1 
			  Burglary 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 359 7 
			     
			 5 Summary offences excluding motoring 304 1 
			  Other indictable offences 11 — 
			  Fraud and forgery 6 2 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 5 1 
			  Violence against the person 3 2 
			  Drug offences 2 1 
			  Criminal damage 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 332 7 
			     
			 6 Summary offences excluding motoring 280 1 
			  Other indictable offences 30 1 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 4 — 
			  Fraud and forgery 3 2 
			  Drug offences 3 — 
			  Violence against the person 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 321 4 
			     
			 7 Summary offences excluding motoring 286 — 
			  Other indictable offences 19 4 
			  Violence against the person 7 5 
			  Criminal damage 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 313 9 
			     
			 8 Summary offences excluding motoring 222 — 
			  Other indictable offences 67 8 
			  Criminal damage 5 — 
			  Fraud and forgery 2 — 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 8 1 
			  Burglary 1 — 
			  Violence against the person 5 3 
			  Total number of convictions 310 12 
			     
			 9 Summary offences excluding motoring 192 18 
			  Violence against the person 39 26 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 26 7 
			  Other indictable offences 15 5 
			  Drug offences 12 3 
			  Criminal damage 8 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Offences outside England and Wales 5 4 
			  Burglary 2 1 
			  Breach offences 1 1 
			  Summary motoring offences 1 — 
			  Fraud and forgery 1 — 
			  Total number of convictions 302 68 
			     
			 10 Summary offences excluding motoring 120 23 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 75 25 
			  Fraud and forgery 16 1 
			  Criminal damage 14 4 
			  Other indictable offences 11 10 
			  Sexual offences 10 8 
			  Violence against the person 9 6 
			  Burglary 6 3 
			  Drug offences 4 — 
			  Unknown 2 — 
			  Breach offences 1 1 
			  Total number of convictions 268 81 
			 Source: Ministry of Justice, Police National Computer

Parc Prison

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many (a) deaths, (b) suicides and (c) incidents of self-harm were reported at Parc Prison, Bridgend, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the percentage of population to certified normal accommodation was for Parc Prison, Bridgend, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many prisoners are held in Parc Prison, Bridgend; and what the (a) operational capacity and (b) certified normal accommodation of Parc Prison, Bridgend, is.

Crispin Blunt: The information is as follows.
	PQ  109025
	
		
			 Table 1: Deaths and  self-harm incidents at HMP  Parc 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Total deaths 4 1 3 3 1 
			 Of which:      
			 Self-inflicted 2 0 1 0 1 
			 Natural causes 2 1 2 3 0 
			       
			 Self-harm incidents 285 189 283 433 387 
		
	
	These figures are derived from Safety In Custody Statistics 2010 which can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody
	The figures for 2011 are due to be published in July 2012.
	At prison level, rises or falls in numbers of deaths or self-harm incidents from one year to the next are not a good indicator of underlying trend.
	PQs  109026 and 109027
	The population, operational capacity and occupancy rate of HMP Parc, as defined by the percentage of population, to in-use certified normal accommodation is published for the last working Friday in April in each of the last five years and is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 As at April  each year : Population Operational  c apacity In  use certified normal accommodation Percentage  population to in use certified normal accommodation 
			 2007 1,111 1,114 838 133 
			 2008 1,181 1,170 838 141 
			 2009 1,197 1,200 838 143 
			 2010 1,187 1,200 838 142 
			 2011 1,464 1,474 1,170 125 
			 2012 1,432 1,474 1,170 122 
		
	
	Prisons are not expected to accommodate more prisoners than their agreed Operational Capacity. Where centrally held records indicate that population exceeds Operational Capacity, as in April 2008 above, this is due to a number of authorised absences from the prison. An authorised absence can be for a number of reasons, such as release to outside hospital or for release on temporary licence to assist with prisoner resettlement. Release on temporary licence requires a prisoner to be absent from prison for at least one night. These prisoners are required to return to prison after their temporary release has concluded and are therefore counted as part of the prison population.
	This information is published monthly on the MOJ website via the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/prison-population-figures
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Parc Young Offender Institution

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many cases have been referred to an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in Parc Young Offender Institution in each month of the last two years;
	(2)  how many additional days of imprisonment have been awarded to children in Parc Young Offender Institution by an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in each month of the last two years;
	(3)  what the ethnicity is of each child awarded additional days of imprisonment by outside adjudicators in Parc Young Offender Institution in each month of the last two years.

Crispin Blunt: There have been no (zero) cases referred to an outside adjudicator for breaches of prison rules in Parc under-18 Youth Offenders Institution (YOI) in the last two years and therefore no (zero) additional days of imprisonment awarded to children of any ethnicity.
	This data has been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) from Parc under-18 Young Offender Institution (YOI).
	These figures have been drawn from YOI records. As such they are subject to possible recording errors and can be subject to change over time.

Prisoners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were prosecuted for (a) arson and (b) drug offences in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information whether a defendant is serving, or has served, a custodial sentence.
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) takes the incidence of deliberate fire setting (arson) within prisons very seriously and is currently undertaking work to reduce the number of fire incidents in cells. A Cell Fires Reduction Working Group is developing a strategy to tackle the issues.
	The Government is committed to tackling the supply of drugs into prisons. As part of the drugs strategy NOMS is investigating new technologies to tackle drugs and mobile phones in prisons. It is also increasing the number of drug free wings in prisons, where increased security measures prevent access to drugs.

Prisoners

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that prisoners approaching discharge have their benefit and housing entitlements reviewed to ensure they can fully rehabilitate themselves on leaving prison.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners are asked about benefits by DWP staff working in prisons at induction. Since March all offenders have their jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claims processed prior to release by Jobcentre Plus employment benefit advisers who also provide advice on employment opportunities and financial support. Those applying for JSA on release are mandated to the Work programme on day one, expected to be 30,000 a year. This also applies to those who claim JSA within 13 weeks.
	In order to avoid losing tenancies and housing benefits. NOMS carries out an Initial Housing Needs Assessment (IHNA) within four days of reception into custody. Prisons are also required to ensure that offenders are able to access existing housing advice services in the community. This advice is provided either by trained prison staff, or by voluntary sector providers such as NACRO, St Giles Trust, St Mungos' and Shelter.

Prisoners’ Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme.

Crispin Blunt: Prison Rule 8 and Young Offender Institution (YOI) Rule 6 require every prison and YOI to provide a system of privileges which can be granted to prisoners or young offenders in addition to the minimum entitlements under the rules, subject to their reaching and maintaining specified standards of conduct and performance. The national Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme (IEP) policy framework applies to all prison and YOIs, but governors or directors may exempt prisoners from the scheme who have progressed on to a structured resettlement programme, for whom other forms of incentive will apply.
	All prison governors have devolved responsibility to operate a local scheme of incentives and earned privileges based upon the principles established under the national IEP policy framework. The national policy framework requires that establishments review and evaluate their own schemes annually to ensure they continue to be relevant to their local aims and population, including different ethnic groups.
	The national IEP policy framework was reviewed in 2010-11 as part of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Specification, Benchmarking and Costing Programme, with the IEP scheme forming a component part of the Residential Services Specification. A revised Prison Service Instruction (PSI 11/2011) was also issued, a copy of which is in the House Library. PSI 11/2011 did not introduce any substantive changes to the previous national IEP policy framework.
	More recently an internal audit of the system was carried out as part of the NOMS's 2011-12 Audit Plan.

Prisoners’ Release: Foreign Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 16 June 2011, Official Report, columns 920-3W, on foreign nationals: prisoners, how many foreign nationals convicted of (a) rape, (b) sexual offences against children, (c) other sexual offences and (d) a violent offence were released from prison after serving custodial sentences of (i) less than one year, (ii) between one and two years, (iii) between two and three years, (iv) between three and four years, (v) between four and five years, (vi) between five and six years, (vii) between six and seven years, (viii) between seven and eight years, (ix) between eight and nine years, (x) between nine and 10 years, (xi) between 10 and 11 years, (xii) between 11 and 12 years, (xiii) between 12 and 15 years, (xiv) between 15 and 20 years and (xv) over 20 years in 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of foreign national prisoners released from determinate sentences for (a) rape, (b) other sexual offences, and (c)violence against the person offences, by detailed sentence length band in 2011. From the data held centrally, it is not possible to separately identify those offenders convicted of sexual offences against children; they are included with other sexual offences.
	
		
			 Foreign national prisoners discharged from determinate sentences, for rape, other sexual offences and violence against the person, England and Wales, 2011 
			  Rape Other sexual offences Violence against the person 
			 Total 101 138 1,172 
			 Less than one year 0 58 818 
			 1 years to less than 2 years 2 30 145 
			 2 years to less than 3 years 2 14 67 
			 3 years to less than 4 years 7 9 41 
			 4 years to less than 5 years 10 9 35 
			 5 years to less than 6 years 13 8 18 
			 6 years to less than 7 years 11 5 15 
			 7 years to less than 8 years 13 0 10 
			 8 years to less than 9 years 9 3 7 
			 9 years to less than 10 years 10 1 5 
			 10 years to less than 11 years 10 0 2 
			 11 years to less than 12 years 3 1 4 
			 12 years to less than 15 years 10 0 4 
			 15 years to less than 20 years 1 0 1 
		
	
	
		
			 20 years to less than life 0 0 0 
			 Note: The data presented in this table are drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners from EU countries were transferred to the country of their nationality under the Council of Europe's prisoner transfer arrangements in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: From 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011 a total of 258 prisoners have been transferred from England and Wales to the European Union member state of their nationality under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. The breakdown for each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007 102 
			 2008 60 
			 2009 36 
			 2010 38 
			 2011 22 
		
	
	The transfer of prisoners from Scotland and from Northern Ireland under the Convention is a matter for the relevant devolved Administration.

Prisons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidences of (a) arson and (b) drug dealing were recorded in prisons in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of incidents of arson and drug dealing in prisons in the past five years is not held centrally. Recorded instead is the number of fire and drugs incidents.
	The number of fire and drugs incidents occurring in prisons in England and Wales in each of the past five years is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Fire Drugs 
			 2007-08 1,066 5,582 
			 2008-09 1,046 5,451 
			 2009-10 906 4,962 
			 2010-11 950 4,204 
			 2011-12 966 4,638 
			 Total 4,934 24,837 
		
	
	Drug incidents include seizures of drugs and drug taking paraphernalia. Fire incidents include all fires occurring in prisons including small cell fires. The number of these incidents that relate specifically to arson and drug dealing cannot be differentiated without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All figures in this answer have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. These figures may change should any further incidents relating to this period be identified and reported.
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) takes the incidence of deliberate fire setting (arson) within prisons very seriously and is currently undertaking work to reduce the number of fire incidents in cells. A Cell Fires Reduction Working Group is developing a strategy to tackle the issues.
	The Government is committed to tackling the supply of drugs into prisons. As part of the drugs strategy NOMS is investigating new technologies to tackle drugs and mobile phones in prisons. It is also increasing the number of drug free wings in prisons, where increased security measures prevent access to drugs.

Probation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps (a) he has taken since 2010 and (b) he plans to take during the next six months to reduce the time spent by probation officers employed by probation services on paperwork and administrative tasks; and what estimate he has made of the time spent by probation officers on paperwork and administrative tasks in an average (i) day, (ii) week and (iii) month in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: In March 2010, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) launched an Offender Engagement Programme to deliver improved outcomes, including reduced reoffending, by increasing the quantity and quality of one-to-one engagement between probation practitioners and offenders. This includes work to reduce the bureaucratic demands on operational staff. The number of targets probation trusts are measured against has been reduced by 40%, allowing a greater focus on achieving outcomes as opposed to measuring inputs and processes. The National Standards for the Management of Offenders have been revised so as greatly to reduce the burdens they place on front-line staff.
	Work to focus resources on the front line is progressing. In the next six months, the Offender Engagement Programme will continue to test and make available new evidence-based approaches to support front-line practitioners.
	Delivery structures across probation trusts vary, as do the requirements of specific roles, and NOMS does not routinely collect data on the proportion of time spent on paperwork and administrative tasks. In December 2008, a snapshot survey over a one-week period, based on a small sample of probation officers (POs) and probation service officers (PSOs), found that across England and Wales, 24% of PO/PSO time was spent in direct contact with offenders; 41% on computer activity; and 35% on other activities—such as dealing with correspondence, meetings, travel, etc. However, these results should be treated with caution. This was a quick survey to provide information to management: the methodology did not meet the rigorous standards applicable to published research.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary exit schemes at Essex Probation for staff at each grade in each year since 2009-10; how much it plans to spend in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: There have been no involuntary or voluntary exit schemes in Essex Probation Trust in 2009-10 or subsequent years and no schemes are planned for 2012-13.
	Essex Probation contributed £25,000 towards the cost of an involuntary exit scheme relating to the closure of the East of England Probation Training Consortium in 2009-10. The six probation areas in the East of England region contributed a total of £90,000.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Essex Probation has received since 2005; how many such requests were (a) agreed to and (b) refused in each year; whether any refusals were subject to appeal to the Information Commissioner; how many such appeals were successful; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the total number of Freedom of Information requests received by Essex Probation Trust since 2005.
	
		
			  Total 
			 2012 2 
			 2011 7 
			 2010 6 
			 2009 0 
			 2008 0 
			 2007 3 
			 2006 1 
			 2005 4 
			 Total 23

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date each property (a) owned and (b) leased by Essex Probation service was opened for occupation by the service; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such property.

Crispin Blunt: Most of the estate occupied by Essex Probation Service was transferred to the Secretary of State (currently for Communities and Local Government) on 1 April 2001 by the Transfer of Property (Local Probation Boards and the Children and Family Court Advisory Service) Order 2001. Essex Probation also occupies offices in nine court buildings.
	
		
			 Probation service properties in Essex 
			 Properties Tenure type Transfer date or lease date Rent (£ pa) Existing use value (£) 
			 Carraway House, Basildon Freehold 1 April 2001 n/a (1)977,000 
			 Five Wells, Thurrock Freehold 1 April 2001 n/a (1)650,000 
			 Ashby House, Chelmsford Leasehold 1 April 2001 116,500 n/a 
			 Ryegate House, Colchester Leasehold 1 April 2001 105,000 n/a 
		
	
	
		
			 Cullen Mill, Witham Leasehold 1 April 2001 41,000 n/a 
			 Basildon Approved Premises Freehold 1 April 2001 n/a (2)475,000 
			 Blue Heights, Southend Leasehold 1 April 2001 140,000 n/a 
			 4 Mitre Buildings, Harlow Leasehold 25 October 2006 112,780 n/a 
			 (1) At 1 April 2009. (2) Market value at 31 March 2011.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what relevant specialist qualifications the Chief Executive of Essex Probation service holds; what process was followed in their appointment; where the post was advertised; how many people applied for the post; how many were short-listed for interview; how each was appraised; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Mary Archer was appointed Chief Executive of Essex Probation Trust on 1 April 2010. She had previously been Chief Officer of Essex Probation Board. The appointment, by the Secretary of State, followed an assessment process which included an interview with the Director of Offender Management for the East of England and the Trust Chair Designate. The purpose of the interview was to ascertain whether the candidate had the skills needed in the new role and to test her understanding of the new relationship with the Trust Chair and the National Offender Management Service.
	Mary Archer has 30 years experience in every aspect of the work of the probation service. She holds a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work and a Chartered Management qualification. She was appointed OBE in 2010.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Kenneth Clarke: There have been 73 redundancies for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2012. This figure does not include civil servants who have been offered early departure under the Ministry's ongoing voluntary early departure scheme, which provides the same terms as voluntary redundancy under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme 2010.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: Within the Ministry of Justice, the Justice Policy Group is responsible for the delivery of policy. The Group maintains a risk register which is updated on a monthly basis to monitor top risks to the delivery of particular policies. In addition, risk registers are maintained by the Department in the following policy areas:
	the Family Justice Review Implementation Programme, jointly with the Department of Education;
	the implementation of the reforms on civil litigation and costs; and
	the Offender Services Competition Portfolio Strategic Risk Register, maintained by the National Offender Management Service.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12;
	(2)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse;
	(3)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12

Kenneth Clarke: For 2011-12, the Ministry of Justice (including its executive agencies) had 40.1 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff undertaking full-time employee representative duties. The number of part-time representatives is estimated to equate to 128.9 FTE.
	As there are no central records held on the grades and pay rates of staff deployed on local employee representative duties, a disproportionate cost will be incurred to obtain this information.
	For individual probation trusts there are no central facility time records. This is locally managed and to obtain this information will incur disproportionate cost. Of the other non-departmental public bodies, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and Legal Services Commission (LSC) have their own employee representatives and facility time arrangements. There were no full-time representatives and 0.05 FTE part-time representatives in the YJB. There are 30 part-time trade union representatives in the LSC.
	The Ministry of Justice and its non-departmental public bodies do not differentiate between trade union duties and activities when allocating facility time to representatives. The data are not held centrally and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Kenneth Clarke: Copies of the current agreements for the Ministry of Justice will be placed in the Library. The Legal Services Commission and Youth Justice Board do not have formal facilities agreements covering their facility time arrangements.
	The Department and its non-departmental public bodies will revise their facilities agreements following the forthcoming central review of facility time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

Kenneth Clarke: No trade union representative in either the Ministry of Justice or its non-departmental public bodies has faced disciplinary action in each of the last five years for abusing facility time or public resources.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many meetings have taken place between (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting.

Kenneth Clarke: Management in both the Ministry of Justice and its non-departmental public bodies meet regularly with trade union representatives at national and local levels to consult on a range of issues as detailed in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidated) Act 1992. We do not maintain central records of all meetings that have been held, and to collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

Kenneth Clarke: Employees facing disciplinary procedures are legally entitled to representation from their trade union representative. We do not retain central records of instances where this has occurred in the Ministry of Justice or its non-departmental public bodies and to collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Young Offenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young people in all parts of the secure youth estate transferred to the adult estate due to their age in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many adult prisoners who committed suicide did so within five years of them transferring from any part of the youth estate in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many children in any part of the secure youth estate came from families where one or both parents are or have been in prison during the last five years in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The information is as follows:
	(1) The number of prisoners being transferred from the secure youth estate to the adult estate due to their age are not recorded centrally. The numbers can only be determined by checking individual records.
	(2) It is not possible to answer this question directly from centrally held records. However, we can provide information based on the offenders' ages at the time of death and when they first came into custody. As the adult prison estate can be defined as either those aged 18 and above or those aged 21 and above the following table shows the annual numbers of self-inflicted deaths for both age boundaries:
	(i) those aged 18 or more who were under 18 when they were first admitted to custody,
	(ii) those aged 21 or more who were under 21 when they were first admitted to custody
	
		
			  Self-inflicted deaths of those age 18 or more at time of death who were under 18 on admission to custody and died within five years of turning 18 Self-inflicted deaths of those aged 21 or more at the time of death who were under 21 on admission to custody and died within  five  years of turning 21 
			 2006 2 1 
			 2007 1 6 
			 2008 1 2 
			 2009 1 4 
			 2010 0 0 
		
	
	(3) Information on the custodial history of prisoners' parents are not recorded centrally. As a result the numbers of children in any part of the secure youth estate who come from families where one or both parents have been in prison are unknown.

Young Offenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate was amongst young people who were released from the adult estate and had previously been held in any part of the secure youth estate in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: It is not possible from the Department's reoffending data to identify young people released form the adult estate who had previously been held in any part of the youth estate. However the following table shows the percentage of young people aged 18 to 20 years and 21 to 24 years who reoffended within one year of their release from prison in each year between 2005 and 2009 (the latest full calendar year available).
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Proportion of offenders aged 18 to 20 years who reoffended Proportion of offenders aged 21 to 24 years who reoffended 
			 2005 57.3 51.6 
			 2006 59.6 51.4 
			 2007 60.7 52.3 
			 2008 58.4 51.8 
			 2009 58.9 49.7 
		
	
	These figures are from the Ministry of Justice's published proven reoffending statistics for England and Wales. Proven reoffending is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year period, a further six month waiting period is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.

Young Offenders: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young adult offenders aged 18 to 20 years from the metropolitan borough of Tameside were held in (a) young offender institutions, (b) local prisons, (c) women's prisons and (d) other parts of the secure estate, in each month since May 2009.

Crispin Blunt: All young offenders serving sentences of DYOI are held in appropriately designated young offender institution (YOI) accommodation within the prison estate. The majority of this accommodation is in dedicated YOIs, although some establishments in the estate have a dual designation (designated both as a prison and a YOI) and hold both adult prisoners and young offenders.
	The following table shows the number of offenders aged 18 to 20-years-old from the metropolitan borough of Tameside who were held in predominant function male young offender institutions, predominant function male local prisons, predominant function female prisons and other prisons on a set day in each month where data are available since May 2009. The data have only been recorded centrally since May 2009 and from September 2010 are available on a bi-monthly basis.
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Prison function May Sep Nov Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov Jan Mar 
			 (a) Young offender institutions 22 17 12 17 13 20 14 23 25 22 23 
			 (b) Local prisons 0 3 3 7 9 9 16 24 11 9 5 
			 (c) Women's prisons 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (d) Other parts of the secure estate 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Information on offenders' residences is provided by offenders on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or next of kin address and these figures are provided in the table above.
	If no address is given, an offender's committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. These figures are also included in the table above. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders, these figures are excluded from the table above.

Youth Justice Board

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the amount the Youth Justice Board will pay on average per place in a (a) local authority secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) young offender institution, including VAT where applicable, as of 2 April 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The average price per place, including VAT where applicable, for the different sectors of the children and young people's secure estate as of 1 April 2012, are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Service Average price per place per year as of 1 April 2012 (to the nearest £000) 
			 Secure Children's Homes (SCH) 212,000 
			 Secure Training Centres (STC) 188,000 
			 Young Offender Institutions (YOI) 60,000 
			 Notes: 1. While some contract costs are being met from within Ministry of Justice (MOJ) budgets, responsibility for commissioning secure accommodation places remains with the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and therefore the price per place includes all contracts relating to that particular sector, with VAT included on the YJB paid contracts and excluded from the MOJ paid contracts. 2. These figures are not intended to represent the total price of providing custody and related services to young people. For example, they do not include YJB funding to NOMS Prisoner Escort Management for the provision of prison escort and custodial services for young people. They also do not include YJB funding for reliance escorts, who undertake movements for sentenced young people between courts and secure training centres and secure children's homes and for transfers between these sectors. 3. Differences in the YJB funding streams included for these 2012-13 prices from the prices published for 1 April 2011 (2011-12 prices) are that: a. The YJB no longer commissions health services as part of contracts for secure children's home places; b. Social worker funding to young offender institutions is included. 4. Advocacy services funded by the YJB are included in secure training centre and young offender institution prices, based upon a full year's budget allocation calculated using prices as at 1 April 2012. Advocacy services required to be provided by local authorities for secure children's homes are part-funded through YJB contracts for these places. 5. For court ordered secure remand places in the secure training centre sector, the YJB recovers one third of the costs from young people's home local authorities. 6. The YJB has since 1 April 2011 no longer had funding responsibility for young people's substance misuse services. The YJB does still pay a young people's substance misuse services contribution for young people's places at HMP and YOI Parc. 7. For the Young Offender Institution sector price: a. Different types of young offender institution services are covered: private and public sector young offender institutions, young women's dedicated units, long-term (sentenced) units, and the Keppel Unit; b. For public young offender institutions, the MOJ business rates, maintenance charges and capital charges have been estimated based upon 2010-11 levels and revised to reflect changes to the children's and young peoples estate since that time. The 2011-12 charges are currently being agreed by MOJ Estates Group and the YJB; c. YJB funding for the contract for Lucy Faithfull Foundation services is included; d. YJB funding for the central juvenile awareness staff programme (JASP) is included: JASP is currently being revised and so young offender institution-level budgets will not be agreed until the cost-impact of the revisions has been analysed.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the answer of 1 May 2012 to the hon. Member for Cardiff West, Official Report, column 1407W, on Atos, what the monetary value was of each contract between his Department and Atos in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [Official Report, 5 November 2012, Vol. 552, c. 1MC.]

Chris Grayling: The spend values for the five DWP contracts with Atos are as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Policy area Spend in 2008-09 Spend in 2009-10 Spend in 2010-11 
			 Medical Services 111,800 99,100,000 112,800,000 
			 Tell Us Once—Tell Us Once Release A 2,568,409 2,214,608 2,471,873 
			 enGage (Government Gateway) 22,933,466 20,560,958 15,745,685 
			 Occupational Health 0 0 9,840,000 
			 Community Action Programme 0 0 0 
			 Notes: 1. There are £0 spend values against the Community Action Programme contract because (a) it did not exist until November 2011 and (b) the outcome- based payment model used will only see costs becoming due in early 2012-13. 2. There are £0 spend values against the Occupational Health contract because it did not exist in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Chris Grayling: Data on carbon emissions are collected and published for the period 1 April to 31 March each year. The Department's total level of carbon emissions for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 DWP Emissions 2010-11 and 2011-12 
			  tCO 2 e emissions 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 187,336 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 156,796

Child Support Agency

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure the Child Support Agency makes full use of its enforcement powers; and if he will take steps to ensure it makes such use of its enforcement powers after reform of the agency in 2013.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested, and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure the Child Support Agency makes full use of its enforcement powers; and if he will take steps to ensure it makes such use of its enforcement powers after reform of the Agency in 2013.
	The Commission has at its disposal a range of strong enforcement powers, intended to ensure all parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children; and we are using all of the powers available to us where it is appropriate to do so - for example, we are increasing the use we make of deductions from non-resident parents' bank accounts and orders for sale of their property. In fact, the latest figures in the March 2012 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics show deduction of monies from bank accounts has trebled since 2009. Additionally, driving disqualifications for non-payment have risen eightfold since 2008. Enforcement information is routinely published in the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics which is available using the following link:
	http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/qss/Qss_mar_2012.pdf
	It is important to note that the Commission will need to take into consideration, when deciding if and what type of enforcement action to take, a number of factors including the welfare of any relevant children involved and the likeliness of collecting monies owed. Taking enforcement action can be a costly process, particularly in cases where the non-resident parent is determined not to pay - we must therefore take this into consideration and ensure we maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of our enforcement system. There is nothing to be gained by pursuing expensive court action in cases where this has little chance of ensuring people meet their obligations and securing money for children.
	In the future, the introduction of the new child maintenance scheme will bring greater automation and in turn more alerts to identify quickly people who fall into debt. Once the new scheme is introduced, this will give us additional capacity to pursue effective debt collection, including taking tougher enforcement action against those who continue to evade their responsibilities.
	The Government has recently reconfirmed its commitment to introducing further enforcement powers for use against parents who refuse to pay, when the time is right. The proposed forthcoming integration of the child maintenance system into the Department for Work and Pensions will ensure full Ministerial accountability for the use of these far-reaching powers.

Disability: Grants

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made on the allocation of grants to user-led organisations to support disabled people; and what level of grants have been made (a) nationally and (b) in Yorkshire and the Humber in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: Since the launch of the Disabled People's User-Led Organisations programme in July 2011, a variety of local disabled people's user-led organisations throughout England have benefited from both financial and non-financial support.
	Since September 2011, six Facilitation Fund Boards have been held, 61 applications have been considered and of these 41 have been successful.
	The total amount awarded to date is £509,124.
	In the Yorkshire and Humberside area five organisations have been successful and received awards totalling £49,227.
	The average value of an award made to DPULOs in the Yorkshire and Humberside area is £9,845.
	The programme encourages DPULOs to develop innovative ideas to support disabled people. For example, in Yorkshire and Humberside funding has been awarded to develop a new model of delivering social care.

Employment Schemes: East Midlands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are on the Work programme in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east midlands.

Chris Grayling: Official statistics on Work programme referrals and attachments up to the end of January 2012 were published on 9 May 2012. The information requested can be found via the Tabulation Tool published on the Department's website:
	http://83.244.183.180/WorkProg/tabtool.html

Employment Schemes: East Midlands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Ashfield constituency have been on the Work programme for more than 12 months.

Chris Grayling: The Work programme started in June 2011. Official statistics on Work programme referrals and attachments up to the end of January 2012 were published on 9 May 2012. The information requested can be found via the Tabulation Tool published on the Department's website:
	http://83.244.183.180/WorkProg/tabtool.html

Jobcentre Plus: Training

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training Jobcentre Plus staff receive to assist people with learning disabilities.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions policy is to develop its staff in the skills required to support a range of customers and claimants, to respect their individual needs, including those related to their health conditions. This approach ensures that they are skilled to deal with a diverse set of circumstances, while treating everyone as individuals.
	All Jobcentre Plus staff receive foundation learning, which covers excellent customer service, diversity and claimants' needs. This learning encompasses the wide range of circumstances that our claimants may have, some less obvious than others, and stresses how important it is to look for signs where the claimant does not give us this information directly and to offer appropriate support.
	Jobcentre Plus personal advisers, in particular, have access to a comprehensive learning programme. The training focuses on raising awareness of the individual's personal circumstances and also recognises that disabilities and health conditions can affect individuals in different ways. Disability employment advisers receive additional learning appropriate to this specialist area. Their training has been designed in conjunction with specialist DWP occupational psychologists to enable advisers to provide effective support to people with particular complex needs.
	All staff have access to the Hidden Impairment Toolkit, which provides practical advice and guidance on how best to support individuals into employment. This approach enables the anticipation of reasonable adjustments at appropriate stages of the individual's journey to work.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Lone Parents

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Chris Grayling: holding answer 22 May 2012
	These statistics have not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether to include the statistics requested in part of an upcoming statistics release in line with the Code of Practice on Official Statistics.
	For information, the headline volumes broken down by age of youngest child, age of lone parent, gender, ethnicity and region are available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/jsa/lone_parents/index.php?page=jsalp

Personal Independence Payment

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled young people aged between 16 and 25 years his Department consulted on the design of the personal independence payments assessment; and what the format was of consultation.

Maria Miller: The assessment for personal independence payment is being designed to be applicable to individuals from age 16 onwards. Our proposals for the assessment criteria have been developed in collaboration with a group of independent experts in health and disability and with considerable input from disabled people and disability organisations. We have recently completed a 15-week public consultation on the second draft of the personal independence payment assessment criteria, receiving around 1,000 responses, including representations from the National Deaf Children's Society, Contact a Family, Every Disabled Child Matters and The Children's Society. Information is not held on the number of respondents to the consultation who were disabled young people.
	We are currently considering all of the comments received in the consultation very carefully as we evaluate what further improvements to the assessment criteria need to be made. We intend to publish a response to the consultation alongside a revised draft of the assessment criteria later in the year, once our considerations are complete.
	In addition to this ongoing work in respect of the assessment criteria, we have engaged and will continue to engage extensively with some of the main organisations representing disabled young people as well as individuals themselves as we develop our proposals for delivery of personal independence payment for this group.

Personal Independence Payment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken in implementing the personal independence payment to ensure that those carrying out face-to-face assessments have information and training on deafblindness.

Maria Miller: The Department is currently in the process of tendering for providers to deliver the personal independence payment assessment from the recently announced Health and Disability framework, with a view to signing contracts with the successful providers by summer 2012.
	The assessment will require the assessor to look at the impact of conditions and impairments on individuals' everyday lives. This requires a very different skill set from those involved in the treatment of individuals, with less need for specialist knowledge. It is therefore not our intention to make assessors experts in every condition.
	Assessors will all be trained and experienced health professionals and will be required to have a broad training in disability analysis as well as on specific impairments, including sensory impairments such as deafblindess. This training will be supported by guidance documents
	We will also seek to work with disabled people and their representatives—including those representing people who are deafblind—exploring the scope for involving them in detailed plans for implementing the new benefit, including where possible in the development of training and guidance material to ensure that they are appropriate.

Personal Independence Payment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken in implementing the personal independence payment to ensure that disabled people with long-term conditions will not need to attend face-to-face assessments where there is sufficient written evidence.

Maria Miller: We believe it is right for the assessment to look at disabled people as individuals and not just label them by their health condition or impairment. That's why personal independence payment is being designed to consider an individual's personal circumstances and the support they need, rather than basing eligibility on any medical condition.
	Although we believe that face-to-face consultations will be an important part of the assessment process, we have made it very clear that we intend to deliver this policy in a sensitive and proportionate way. Therefore, where we already have enough written evidence on which to make an accurate assessment of the claimant, such as from the claimant themselves or from individuals involved in supporting the claimant, such as their GP, specialist or social worker, it would be inappropriate—and a waste of public money—to require these individuals to attend such a consultation. Individuals with long-term health conditions or impairments are particularly likely to have such evidence available to support their claim in this way.
	Decisions on whether sufficient evidence has been gathered will be based on the circumstances of the case and guidance will be provided to support such decisions.

Personal Independence Payment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the criteria for the personal independence payment will recognise the difficulties experienced by deafblind people in accessing written information and verbal communication.

Maria Miller: By reforming disability living allowance the Government want to create a fairer, more transparent and sustainable system, ensuring that we continue to support disabled people—including those individuals who are deafblind—to live independent lives.
	We have recently completed a 15-week public consultation of the personal independence payment assessment criteria, and received around 1,000 responses to this consultation.
	During the consultation period officials met with organisations which represent individuals with sensory impairments on several occasions, including Sense and Deafblind Scotland. These meetings and the corresponding responses to the consultation we received have provided a wide range of very helpful suggestions about potential changes to the assessment criteria and have highlighted the barriers and costs that deafblind individuals face.
	I can assure you that we are considering all of these comments very carefully as we evaluate what further improvements need to be made to the assessment criteria. As we have said, the development of the assessment criteria will be an iterative process, and if we need to make more changes to ensure it fairly reflects the needs of deafblind individuals, we will do so. We intend to publish a response to the consultation alongside a revised draft of the assessment criteria later in the year, once our considerations are complete.

Personal Independence Payment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the face-to-face assessment for the personal independence payment will be accessible to deafblind people.

Maria Miller: The Department is currently in the process of tendering for providers to deliver the personal independence payment assessment, with a view to signing contracts with the successful providers by summer 2012.
	We want to ensure that all face-to-face consultations are carried out in locations that are accessible to claimants, whatever their health condition or impairment. Assessment providers will have to ensure that all sites which need to be accessed by claimants for their face-to-face consultation are compliant with the Equality Act 2010. Providers will be expected to carry out home visits if other locations are not appropriate or they feel that this would be preferable.
	We also recognise and acknowledge that for some individuals, for example those who are deafblind, attending a consultation at an unfamiliar location could create an element of anxiety. We have therefore made it very clear that individuals who are asked to attend a face-to-face consultation will be able to bring another person with them, in order to support them or remove any anxiety they may feel in undertaking this process.

Poverty: Children

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children living in poverty after housing costs have been deducted are in families with gross household earnings of more than (a) £1,000 per year, (b) £4,000 per year, (c) £6,000 per year and (d) £7,500 per year.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	The latest year for which data are available is 2009-10. The following table shows the number of children with income below 60% of contemporary median income, after housing costs (AHC), split by annual gross household earnings (£ per year), who earn more than £1,000, £4,000, £6,000 and £,7500 respectively.
	
		
			 Number of children with incomes below 60% of contemporary equivalised household median income, After Housing Costs, by gross annual earnings of the household, United Kingdom 
			 Annual gross household earnings (£) Number of children (million) 
			 More than £1,000 2.0 
			 More than £4,000 1.9 
			 More than £6,000 1.7 
			 More than £7,500 1.5 
			 Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the 2009-10 Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living and is available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai_arc 2. The standard measure of child poverty captures children who live in a household with an equivalised income below 60% of median income, Before Housing Costs. 3. These figures have been presented on an After Housing Cost basis. For After Housing Costs, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, buildings insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are deducted from income. 4. Gross earnings have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and from self-employment. 5. The earnings bands requested are not mutually exclusive and the figures cannot be summed to provide a total number of children in low-income households. The band describes the lower band of earnings amounts. For example, the number of children in the ‘More than £1,000’ band will also include those children where the household has gross annual earnings of more than £4,000, £6,000 and £7,500. Similarly, the number of children in the ‘More than £4,000’ band will also include those children where the household has gross annual earnings of more than £6,000 and £7,500. 6. The earnings measure used here is unequivalised, i.e. it has not been adjusted for household size and composition. The low-income threshold has been equivalised in line with the HBAI publication. 7. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 8. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 9. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. 10. The Child Poverty Act 2010 sets four income-based UK-wide targets to be met by 2020. The targets are based on the proportion of children living in households with relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation, absolute low income and persistent poverty, Before Housing Costs. 11. It was announced in May that the 2009-10 results will be revised when the 2010-11 results come out. Further information is available at the following link: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai_revision_due_to_ni_tax_changes.pdf

Poverty: Children

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in Gateshead are living in poverty after housing costs have been deducted.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty, before and after housing costs have been deducted, are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition to provide a proxy for standard of living and is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai_arc
	The sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide estimates at local authority or constituency level. Data at regional level are available in the HBAI publication.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions' procurement and payment systems are not currently configured to report on the proportion of procurement expenditure the Department has with small and medium- sized businesses. However, we are in the process of delivering this capability and expect completion by the middle of the 2012-13 financial year.
	During the 23-month period from 1 May 2010 to 31 March 2012, the Department spent a total of £901.8 million with known small and medium-sized business suppliers. This represents 11.41 % of our total commercial spending in the period.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Chris Grayling: DWP operates a thorough invoice validation and matching process to ensure that we avoid overpayments to suppliers.
	It is the Department's intention to conduct an independent spend recovery audit by December 2013.

Remploy

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support packages are available for Remploy workers in stage one factories.

Maria Miller: To help the transition from sheltered segregated employment into mainstream employment, we are committed to providing a comprehensive support package for all disabled members of Remploy staff affected by the Government announcement on the 7 March. This offer will be for individualised support for up to 18 months and we have set aside £8 million to support this work. The support package is designed to be flexible and will be tailored to meet each individual's specific needs through the development of a personalised action plan. This will be managed with the support of a personal case worker who will make best use of skills and experience from partner agencies and organisations both nationally and locally.
	The support package will include access to work- related opportunities available from Remploy and Jobcentre Plus employer networks and we will also be working with other employers, including local employers, and the Employers Forum on Disability, to look to offer targeted work opportunities to help affected staff find new employment.
	The support package will also include a personal budget to provide additional support, not available elsewhere, to help people who may have difficulties with the transition to mainstream employment
	The support package includes making £1.5 million available for the Community Support Fund. This fund will support individuals to become involved in their local communities as well as providing support for those who wish to make the move from sheltered to mainstream employment. Local disabled people's user-led organisations and voluntary sector organisations will be able to apply for modest amounts of funding to take forward a variety of projects or activities to support disabled people in areas affected by the Sayce announcement.

Remploy

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has received any expressions of interest from private firms for the Sheffield Remploy manufacturing site.

Maria Miller: Remploy's commercial process under way is specific to Remploy businesses identified as stage 1 sites. Sheffield has been identified as a stage 2 site and is therefore not part of the current commercial process.
	In stage 2, DWP will work with the Remploy Board to identify if it is possible that these factory businesses and Employment Services can be freed from Government control, including through employee-led commercial exit and/or open market sales, and how this might be achieved.
	Further information about the proposals for these factories and businesses in stage 2 will be made available once Remploy have considered the most appropriate course of action.

Remploy

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what redundancy payment his Department plans to make to employees at the (a) Remploy factory in Acton and (b) other Remploy factories following closure of the factories.

Maria Miller: Remploy began collective consultation with employee representatives on 19 March 2012 on the proposal by the Remploy Board to close 36 factories, including the Acton factory. As part of collective consultation, the Remploy Board will consider all proposals to avoid compulsory redundancy. The proposed redundancy terms that will be offered to any Remploy employee who is, in the event, made redundant are under discussion as part of the collective consultation process. No final decisions have been made.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: It would be disproportionately costly to list the totality of the risk registers held across all aspects of policy in the Department. However, it may be helpful to set out how risk is managed across the Department.
	Senior Responsible Owners and the Permanent Secretary regularly brief Ministers on significant risks to delivery of both the Departments day-to-day business and our reform programme.
	The Department holds a Strategic Risk Register which contains those risks that are reviewed by members of the Executive Team and the Audit Committee, or which carry such a priority that the responsibility for ensuring the risk is managed is owned by the Executive Team.
	The Department's risk management framework also requires that each Director General carries out risk assessments to identify threats to the achievement of objectives in their business area.
	For each of our significant reform or change programmes and projects, their Senior Responsible Owners are required to maintain risk registers for the risks inherent within their area, which could include any risks inherent in the transition from the current state to the future state.

Social Security Benefits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to change the method of calculating (a) disability benefits and (b) other benefits.

Chris Grayling: Apart from those changes set out in the Welfare Reform Act 2012, there are no current plans to change the method by which either disability or other benefits are calculated.

Social Security Benefits: Post Office Card Account

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who have benefits paid into a Post Office card account.

Steve Webb: The information is not available in the format requested as data held relate to benefit accounts rather than people. People may be in receipt of more than one benefit which could be paid into the same Post Office card account.
	As at January 2012, around 8,500 benefit and pension accounts were being paid into a Post Office card account in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Social Security Benefits: Post Office Card Account

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people who have benefits paid into Post Office card accounts will be able to have universal credit payments paid into those accounts.

Chris Grayling: No decision has yet been made about whether claimants will be able to choose to have universal credit paid into Post Office card accounts and no estimate has been made of the number of claimants who might make that choice.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

Chris Grayling: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of part-time and full-time TU representatives, May 2012 (1) 
			  Part-time Full-time 
			 DWP (2)1,488 16 
			 CMEC 142 3 
			 Independent Living Fund 3 0 
			 HSE 50 1 
			 Remploy 177 5 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (3)1 (3)0 
			 Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman (3)— (3)— 
			 The Pensions Regulator 5 0 
			 Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board(4) — — 
			 Equality 2025(4) — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Industrial Injuries Advisory Council(4) — — 
			 Social Security Advisory Committee(4) — — 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service(5) — — 
			 National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) Corporation(5) — — 
			 (1 )All totals include ULRs where appropriate (2) In the Department for Work and Pensions the amount of time available for use as facility time by TU representatives is capped at 0.2% of the Department's full-time equivalent staffing level at 1 April each year. This overall ceiling includes 16 full-time TU representatives. The number of part- time representatives changes on a frequent basis but the most recent data available, taken during 2011, show an estimated total of 1,488. This does not include Union Learning Representatives (ULRs). (3) Indicates brace. (4) These bodies do not employ any staff. (5) No TU reps.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse.

Chris Grayling: Individual responses for my Department and its non-departmental public bodies are detailed as follows:
	Department for Work and Pensions
	The Department for Work and Pensions is a large Government Department employing approximately 100,000 staff in a large network of sites across the country. There are 16 full-time TU reps employed in the Department for Work and Pensions, and this equates to a salary cost of £416,000 based on an average salary.
	The monitoring of facility time allocations is managed by local managers who robustly manage individual rep’s applications for time off under the facility time agreement. For this reason the data you requested are not collated centrally for each TU representative.
	I can, however, state that in the Department for Work and Pensions the amount of time available for use as facility time by TU representatives is capped at 0.2% of the Department's full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing level at 1 April each year.
	In addition, 0.08% facility time is available for use by Union Learning Representatives (ULRs).
	Non-departmental public bodies
	CMEC
	An average of 20.24 days per TU rep were utilised during the period 1 June 2011 to 29 February 2012. (CMEC uses an accounting period from June to May so the only data available in 2011-12 are from June to February).
	Based on an average salary this equates to £201,836.
	Independent Living Fund
	Its three TU reps have utilised facility time as follows:
	Rep 1: 4.1 days at a cost of £318
	Rep 2: 19.7 days at a cost of £1,477
	Rep 3: 63 days at a cost of £6,368.
	Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
	HSE is unable to state how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative.
	It is able to state that, in 2011-12, a total of 1,504 days was utilised by all TU reps in HSE at a cost of £209,295.
	Remploy
	Remploy does not keep individual TU representatives' records centrally and the cost of providing the information would be disproportionate.
	Pensions O mbudsm an and Pension Protection Fund O mbudsman
	These bodies have had a part-time elected TU rep since last summer 2011 (the rep covers both organisations). They are still in discussions about a recognition agreement with the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and therefore facilities time etc. have not yet been agreed or recorded.
	The Pension Regulator (TPR)
	TPR does not keep individual TU representatives' records centrally and the cost of providing the information would be disproportionate.
	The following non-departmental public bodies do not have TU reps:
	Disability Living Allowance Board
	Equality 2025
	Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
	Social Security Advisory Committee
	The Pensions Advisory Service
	The Pensions Regulator
	National Employment Savings Trust Corporation.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12.

Chris Grayling: Individual responses for my Department and its non-departmental public bodies are detailed as follows:
	Department for Work and Pensions
	In the Department for Work and Pensions the amount of time available for use as facility time by TU representatives is capped at 0.2% of the Department's full-time equivalent staffing level at 1 April each year.
	How the facility time is utilised in respect of TU duties and TU activities is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The monitoring of facility time allocations is managed by local managers, who robustly manage individual reps' applications for time off under the facility time agreement.
	Non-departmental public bodies
	CMEC
	CMEC calculates that a TU rep spent an average of 7.15 days on TU duties and 9.35 days on TU activities during the period June 2011 to 29 February 2012. (CMEC uses an accounting period from June to May).
	Independent Living Fund (ILF)
	ILF calculates that a TU rep spent an average of 61.8 days on TU duties and 25 days on TU activities in 2011-12.
	Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
	HSE does not hold this information.
	Remploy
	Remploy does not hold this information.
	Pensions Ombudsman and Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman
	This information is not held.
	The Pension Regulator
	This information is not held.
	The following non-departmental public bodies do not have TU reps:
	Disability Living Allowance Board
	Equality 2025
	Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
	Social Security Advisory Committee
	The Pensions Advisory Service
	The Pensions Regulator
	National Employment Savings Trust Corporation.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Chris Grayling: I will place a copy of my Department's framework and those of the non-departmental public bodies which have such agreements in the Library.

Universal Credit: Foreign Workers

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 653W, on foreign workers, how many new jobs are being created overseas by companies contracted to deliver the universal credit IT system; what conditions were placed on these contracts in respect of the proportion of new jobs created that must be based in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: All off-shoring work for universal credit is new development and we are not moving existing UK-based work to India.
	Our IT suppliers have made certain assumptions about the majority of their future work being off-shored, not only to provide better value for money for the UK taxpayer, but to recognise that much of their skill base on key technologies resides overseas and not necessarily in the UK.
	Off-shoring of work by our IT service providers is not a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions. All of our IT service providers have global delivery organisations and it is up to them (subject to security considerations) where IT development is delivered from. We are unable to quote specifics on individual IT contracts as they are commercial in confidence.

Welfare Reform Act 2012

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress he has made in preparing regulations to support the implementation of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform Act 2012 received Royal Assent on 8 March 2012. This legislation provides for the most fundamental reforms to the social security system for 60 years. The Act introduces a wide range of reforms to make the benefits and tax credits system simpler, and fairer and ensure that work always pays.
	The Department has since been developing regulations, setting out more detailed provisions, which will be published in due course.
	The draft Housing Benefit (Benefit Cap) Regulations, which will allow for the introduction of a benefit cap from April 2013, as set out in sections 96 and 97 of the Welfare Reform Act, were sent to local authorities for consultation on 18 May and will be laid before Parliament in July.

Work Capability Assessment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of claimants of employment and support allowance in England are placed into (a) the support group, (b) the work-related activity group and (c) the fit for work group.

Chris Grayling: In England, 919,500 people have undergone an initial work capability assessment (WCA) as part of a new claim for employment and support allowance (ESA), where their claim started between October 2008 and the end of August 2011, the latest period for which data are available. Of these, 41 % were entitled to ESA, 13% were placed in the support group, and 27% were placed in the work related activity group. The remaining 59% were deemed fit for work.
	The Department regularly publishes data on ESA and the WCA. The latest publication was released in April and can be found on the departmental website at the following link. Table 1a in this publication gives the affected caseload broken down by region.
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	Notes
	1. The information above is taken from administrative data held by the Department for Work and Pensions and assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare.
	2. The percentages have been rounded and so may not sum to 100%.
	3. The figures above cover only new claims to ESA and exclude incapacity benefit reassessments to determine eligibility for ESA. On 20 April 2012 the Department published data on the outcomes of IB reassessment claims at the regional and local authority level at the following link:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=adhoc_analysis

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2012, Official Report, columns 185-90W, on alcoholic drinks, what assessment he has made for the reasons for the decrease in average weekly alcohol consumption for 16 to 24-year-old (a) men and (b) women between 2000 and 2010.

Anne Milton: There is strong evidence that long-term trends in alcohol consumption by the United Kingdom population have followed trends in gross domestic product. It is likely that average weekly alcohol consumption by 16 to 24-year-olds is sensitive to economic trends, including employment rates in this age group. It is not possible to quantify any contribution to the consumption trend from other factors.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department issues to GPs on treatment of patients aged 20 to 25 who request cervical smear tests;
	(2)  what his policy is on the provision by GPs of cervical smear tests to women aged between 20 and 25 who request them;
	(3)  whether GPs are permitted to refuse cervical smear tests for patients aged between 20 and 25 years who request them.

Paul Burstow: The NHS Cervical Screening Programme is a population-based screening programme and women aged under 25 are not invited as experts advise that screening in this age group has no impact on rates of cervical cancer and can do more harm than good. There is no clinical indication for a cervical screening test, and it is best practice that tests should not be performed on women with symptoms.
	If a woman has symptoms suggestive of cervical cancer, such as unusual bleeding after sexual intercourse or in between periods, she should be managed appropriately by her general practitioner (GP), which may include referral to a gynaecologist within two weeks for further investigation. This is set out in “Clinical practice guidelines for the assessment of young women aged 20-24 with abnormal vaginal bleeding”, developed by the independent Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening and sent to all GPs in England by the Department in March 2010. The guidance has already been placed in the Library and can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_113478
	Women aged under 25 who request cervical screening but do not have symptoms of the disease should be informed of what symptoms to look out for in the future and told they will receive their first invitation for cervical screening around their 25th birthday. If a GP is worried about an exceptional case in a woman aged under 25, such as a victim of child sex abuse or a former child prostitute, they are advised to contact the local screening service to arrange a screening test to be read in the laboratory if deemed clinically appropriate.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the support available to people recently diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Paul Burstow: It is for the local national health service to plan and deliver services according to local need. In 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued a clinical guideline on the management of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The guideline recommends the use of cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise in patients mildly or moderately affected by CFS/ME on the basis that these were the interventions for which there was the clearest research evidence of benefit. A number of other treatments, including particular drugs, vitamin supplements and complementary therapies, were not recommended because there was not enough evidence to suggest that they were effective. The guideline acknowledges that there is no one form of treatment to suit every patient, and that treatment and care should take into account the personal needs and preferences of the patient.
	In terms of future provision, the health and social care reforms will support the improvement of outcomes for people living with CFS/ME and other neurological conditions. Improving quality and delivering better health outcomes for patients is the primary purpose of the NHS. Accountability throughout the system needs to be focused on the outcomes of care, rather than the processes. This focus on outcomes will start at a national level with the 2012-13 NHS Outcomes Framework, which defines and will enable measurement of the key outcomes that matter to patients.
	All five domains within the NHS Outcomes Framework have relevance for people living with CFS/ME and other neurological conditions. Domain two—enhancing the quality of life for people with long-term conditions as a whole—is the most immediately relevant. This reflects the fact that increasing numbers of people have multiple long-term conditions, and it is not always helpful to see their care from the perspective of a single clinical pathway. Domain two seeks to capture how successfully the NHS is supporting people with long-term conditions to live as normal a life as possible and will be measured using three outcomes:
	(i) feeling supported to manage their condition—this measures how well the NHS as a whole is doing in supporting people to look after themselves and handle the consequences of their conditions;
	(ii) functional ability—this measures how well the person is able to live as normal a life as possible and, by looking at employment, ties in well with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Government's wider policies about getting people back to work; and
	(iii) reduced time spent in hospital—this measures how successfully the NHS manages the condition(s) by looking at unnecessary hospital admissions and excessive length of stay.
	It will be the responsibility of the NHS Commissioning Board to determine how to deliver the outcomes in the NHS Outcomes Framework. The board will use the Outcomes Framework and NICE Quality Standards to develop a Commissioning Outcomes Framework, and together these will be the basis for clinical commissioning groups to be held to account. The board will also support commissioning by developing detailed commissioning guidance and tools such as standard contracts and tariffs.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of recent research into the biological causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Paul Burstow: The Department has made no assessment of recent research into the biological causes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Diabetes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people with diabetes are receiving all National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended care processes in (a) England and (b) each primary care trust area.

Paul Burstow: The nine health care checks for diabetes recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are: HbA1c (a measurement of residual glucose), body mass index, blood pressure, urinary albumin, creatinine (a measure of kidney function), cholesterol, eye examinations, foot examinations and smoking status. NICE guidance recommends that diagnosed diabetics receive these nine health care checks (also known as care processes) annually. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are accountable for delivery of care and should be monitoring service delivery at local level.
	There are two sources of data for assessing the extent to which the nine health care checks are provided: the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), and the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) achievement data.
	The NDA contains 81.1% of the 2.34 million people aged 17 years and over with diagnosed diabetes reported by the QOF. Results for all PCTs that submit data to the annual NDA can be accessed via the NDA dashboard on the following link:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/services/national-clinical-audit-support-programme-ncasp/national-diabetes-audit/analysis-and-participation/2010-2011-analysis
	Ranking of results is colour coded, enabling easy comparison of performance between PCTs.
	In addition, two maps in the NHS Atlas of Variation (2011) on the following link:
	www.sepho.org.uk/extras/maps/NHSatlas2011/atlas.html
	are specific to delivery of the nine care processes and use data from the NDA. The Atlas shows that, depending on their PCX area, between 5.4% and 47.9% of people with Type 1 diabetes received all nine health care checks, and between 7% to 71.4% of those with Type 2 diabetes received all the nine health care checks.
	The QOF achievement data show higher numbers of patients receiving each of the health care checks than does the NDA (when comparing the QOF and NDA figures for each of the tests separately). The QOF data tables for each QOF year including 2009-10 at national, strategic health authority and primary care trust levels are available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework-2009-10
	The differences may be ascribable to variations in scope and data assessment methodology. We intend to work with stakeholders to understand the reasons for the differences and to identify what needs to be done as a result.

Diabetes: Orthopaedics

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diabetes-related major amputations have been made (a) nationally and (b) in each primary care trust area in the last 10 years.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
	The National Diabetes Audit reports incidence of amputations for those practices participating in the audit. Information for 2005 to 2010 has been placed in the Library.

Food: Hygiene

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the food hygiene regulations currently being negotiated; what assessment he has made of the effect they might have on UK producers; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The European Commission is expected to bring forward legislative proposals for amendments to the food hygiene regulations in summer 2012, based on information provided by competent authorities in member states and industry bodies. The proposals will then be subject to negotiation in the Council and Parliament under ordinary procedure. The Commission's intention is to simplify certain procedural aspects of the regulations, introduce risk-based controls for certain products such as gelatine and provide scope for potential future amendments in relation to controls at slaughterhouses and certain definitions such as mechanically separated meat.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which has policy responsibility in this area, is in regular contact with United Kingdom industry representatives about the development of the Commission's proposals. The FSA expects that there should be some benefit from a move to more risk-based controls for certain products, but this assessment will be reviewed following publication of the proposals, and where appropriate the proposals will be subject to consultation and impact assessment. Negotiating lines will be cleared with Ministers where necessary under established procedures.

Health Professions: English Language

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all NHS doctors and nurses can speak English.

Simon Burns: It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that the health care professionals they employ are able to communicate safely and effectively with colleagues and patients.
	All non-European Economic Area health care professionals are required to demonstrate their knowledge of English before they are registered with the appropriate regulatory body.
	Under the European directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications it is not possible for the regulatory bodies systematically to test language competency of EU migrants wishing to register in the United Kingdom. However, it does not preclude regulatory bodies from taking fitness-to-practise action against a registrant where their knowledge of English is poor.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  May 2010 April 2012 
			  Number Full-time equivalent Number Full-time equivalent 
			 Civil servants total 2,651 2,570 2,352 2,271 
			 Agency staff contractors total 834 795 313 305

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years.

Simon Burns: The number of full-time equivalent civil servants who have left and been recruited are given in the following table:
	
		
			 Year ending Leavers Entrants 
			 31 March 2011 212 179 
			 31 March 2012 393 126 
		
	
	These figures include entrants and leavers who have transferred between Departments.

Meat: Contamination

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) his European counterparts and (b) the European Commission on the decision to ban desinewed meat in the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which has policy responsibility in this area, has worked closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on behalf of the United Kingdom Government in explaining to the Commission the full impact of its decision that desinewed meat (DSM) can no longer be produced from ruminant bones and that DSM made from poultry or pork bones should be labelled as mechanically separated meat.
	The FSA held urgent discussions with senior European Commission (EC) officials once the EC made its position known, securing an extension to the original five-day deadline for action. The FSA continues to pursue this matter with the EC, making the case for the UK interpretation, including scientific evidence to support that case.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any special advisers in his Department have been subject to disciplinary proceedings since May 2010.

Simon Burns: No special advisers have been subject to disciplinary proceedings since May 2010.

NHS: Discrimination

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place to ensure that boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel do not take place within the NHS.

Simon Burns: The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for service providers, providers of public functions and employers to discriminate on the grounds of a range of protected characteristics, including race, colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins. All local national health service organisations are subject to the provisions of the Act, including the public sector equality duty which requires them, in exercising their functions, to consider eliminating discrimination, harassment and other conduct prohibited under the Act, advance equality of opportunity and promote good community relations.

NHS: Discrimination

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place to ensure that (a) political and (b) racial discrimination does not take place within the NHS.

Simon Burns: There is no place for racial or political discrimination within the national health service. All staff in the NHS are required to treat colleagues and patients in a fair and non-discriminatory way. This is a guiding principle of the NHS, set out in the NHS constitution.
	All NHS bodies are subject to the public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010, which makes discrimination on the grounds of race illegal.
	Public appointments to NHS boards are made on merit and managed through a fair and open process, as required by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

NHS: Equality

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle health inequalities.

Anne Milton: Tackling health inequalities is a Government priority, part of our wider focus on fairness and social justice.
	We have taken steps to establish a framework to reduce health inequalities.
	In the Health and Social Care Act 2012, we have, for the first time ever, established legal duties on health inequalities for national health service commissioners and the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley). When applied, these will be:
	The National Health Service Commissioning Board and clinical commissioning groups are under a duty to have regard to the need to reduce inequalities in access to, and the outcomes of, health care;
	The Secretary of State has a wider duty to have regard to the need to reduce inequalities relating to the health service (including both national health service and public health, and relating to all the people of England);
	The National Health Service Commissioning Board, clinical commissioning groups and Monitor have further duties around integration of health services, health-related services or social care services where they consider this would reduce inequalities; and
	The Secretary of State, the National Health Service Commissioning Board and clinical commissioning groups have duties around health inequalities, concerning planning, reporting and assessment.
	We have also taken steps to ensure that, once established, Public Health England will play a key role in tackling inequalities. This has been informed by the report of the independent review on health inequalities “Fair Society, Healthy Lives” (February 2010), which was led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot.
	Ministers accepted the analysis and approach of the review and its key principles and recommendations, responding through the public health White Paper, “Healthy Lives, Healthy People” (November 2010), which adopted the review's life course framework, ensuring a focus for tackling the wider social determinants of health.
	From 2013-14, the National Health Service Commissioning Board will allocate resources to Clinical Commissioning Groups in a way that supports the principle of securing equivalent access to national health service services relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability. The Board will have a duty to have regard to reducing inequalities in access to, and the outcomes from, health care. Furthermore, from 2013-14, the Department intends to allocate a ring-fenced public health grant, targeted for health inequalities, to upper-tier and unitary local authorities for improving the health and wellbeing of local populations.
	To support development of evidence-based action on health inequalities, we have ensured that both the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the NHS Outcomes Framework have a strong focus on health inequalities.
	University College London’s Institute of Health Equity, led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot and supported by the Department, will help England to strengthen its evidence-based approach to addressing health inequalities and support all parts of the health system through the practical application of knowledge and best practice.
	Within a broad strategy to tackle health inequalities across the country, we are also addressing the health needs of those most vulnerable to poor health outcomes through the Inclusion Health programme.

NHS: Reorganisation

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will (a) fund and (b) have responsibility for commissioning (i) local and (ii) national enhanced services following the implementation of NHS reforms.

Simon Burns: The National Health Service Commissioning Board will be responsible for funding and commissioning all future primary medical services, including any nationally specified enhanced services under the general practitioner contract arrangements.
	We also propose to transfer the funding attached to current local enhanced services (except where responsibility and resources pass to local authorities to meet their new public health functions) to clinical commissioning groups.
	Clinical commissioning groups will be able to use their commissioning budgets to fund commissioning of community-based services, for which the provider might be a general practice where the service is outside the scope of the general practitioner contract and where the award of such contracts have been undertaken in line with safeguards to protect against any potential conflicts of interests.

NHS: Reorganisation

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department expects to publish guidance on the (a) framework for and (b) scope of the quality premium.

Simon Burns: We are continuing to discuss with stakeholders and professional bodies how payments to clinical commissioning groups for improving quality could be used to complement other quality improvement tools to encourage better services, improved outcomes for patients and reductions in health inequalities. Based on these discussions, we intend to develop proposals for wider engagement later this year, which will inform the content of regulations that will take effect from April 2013.

Pharmacy

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much funding his Department allocated to services delivered by community pharmacies in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much has been reimbursed to his Department as a result of category M of the drug tariff; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when he plans to review the operation of category M of the drug tariff; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The overall funding settlement under the community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF), since its introduction in April 2005, for essential and advanced services, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Overall CPCF funding settlement (£ billion) 
			 2005-06 1.776 
			 2006-07 1.911 
			 2007-08 1.979 
			 2008-09 2.213 
			 2009-10 2.490 
			 2010-11 2.486 
			 2011-12 (1)2.526 
			 (1) This does not include up to £55 million allocated for the new medicine service, introduced from October 2011. 
		
	
	The reimbursement price paid by the national health service to community pharmacies for most generic medicines dispensed under NHS services are within Category M of the Drug Tariff. Through the reimbursement prices for Category M, the target margin of £500 million, at least, has been provided in each of the years towards the overall CPCF funding, set out above. Where excess margin above the target level is identified, Category M generic medicine reimbursement prices are adjusted accordingly. The CPCF, including medicine margin and Category M, was reviewed by the National Audit Office (NAO) in its report published in March 2010(1). As well as delivering at least the agreed CPCF funding, the NAO identified savings to the NHS of around £1.8 billion over the period 2005-06 to 2008-09.
	(1) The “Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework and the retained medicine margin”, 30 March 2010 is available at:
	www.nao.org.uk/publications/0910/community_pharmacy.aspx
	The Department and Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee are in discussion about the future funding arrangements for community pharmacy, taking account of:
	the Cost of the Service Inquiry;
	reviewing the medicine margin arrangements, informed by the recommendations of the NAO—such as extending the medicine margin survey beyond independent pharmacies to other pharmacy types, with a consistent approach on cost of service, and making more timely adjustments to medicine margin to reduce regulatory lag; and
	reviewing the distribution of CPCF funding to incentivise and support high-quality and efficient services.

Pharmacy

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many pharmacies were established under the 100 hour exemption between April 2005 and April 2010;
	(2)  how many pharmacies have been established under the 100 hour exemption (a) in total and (b) within or attached to GP premises since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The number of pharmacies opened under the 100 hour exemption is provided as follows. Prior to 2008-09, this information was not collected centrally.
	
		
			 Number of 100 hour pharmacies opened in England 
			  Number 
			 2008-09 450 
			 2009-10 535 
			 2010-11 689 
			 Source: Table 8 of the “General Pharmaceutical Services Bulletin, 2001-02 and 2010-11”, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre 
		
	
	Information is not collected centrally on the number of 100 hour pharmacies attached to general practitioner premises.

Prescriptions: Concessions

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged over 60 years received a free prescription in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally.

Primary Care Trusts: Equality

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what principal conclusions he has drawn from his Department's publication, Equality Impact Assessment for Primary Care Trust Resource Allocations 2011-12.

Simon Burns: The principal conclusion from the Equality Impact Assessment is that the public sector equality duties under the Equality Act 2010 were met for allocations to primary care trusts in 2011-12. The Equality Impact Assessment was published on the Department's website in December 2010 and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_122617.pdf

Radiotherapy

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects to make a decision on the level at which radiotherapy services will be commissioned in the new NHS structure;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure access for all suitable patients to (a) intensity-modulated radiation therapy, (b) image-guided radiation therapy and (c) other new and emerging radiotherapy technologies;
	(3)  whether the metrics in the 2007 National Radiotherapy Advisory Group report still apply; and what progress his Department is making on meeting these targets;
	(4)  what steps he is taking to ensure that patients have access to high-quality radiotherapy services with an appropriate number of fractions.

Paul Burstow: From April 2013, services will be commissioned either by clinical commissioning groups or by the NHS Commissioning Board. No final decisions have yet been taken on which services will be directly commissioned by the board. Work is in hand to define the list of services for direct commissioning and Ministers expect to be in a position to confirm those services in the summer.
	In ‘Improving outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published on 12 January 2011, we said that ensuring that patients have access to high-quality modern radiotherapy techniques can deliver improved patient outcomes and that it was the Department's aspiration to ensure that intensity-modulated radiotherapy was available in at least one centre per cancer network. This has now been achieved.
	The National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG) is planning to publish a report on image-guided radiotherapy, setting out protocols for its use. This report will be available on the National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) website, and NCAT will be providing an IGRT training programme for radiotherapy centres. NRIG is tasked with providing national support to local teams to implement national radiotherapy policy and to keep new and emerging radiotherapy techniques under review.
	The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) report ‘Radiotherapy: developing, a world class service for England’, published in 2007, made a range of recommendations to improve and expand radiotherapy services in England. These included the extension of the 31-day cancer waiting time standard to include all radiotherapy treatments, the establishment and collection of the national radiotherapy dataset (RTDS) and that the number of radiotherapy fractions being delivered should be increased from 30,000 per million population per annum (as it stood at the time of the NRAG report) to 40,000 by 2010-11.
	The 31-day standard for all radiotherapy treatment has since been introduced and the RTDS is now in its second full year of data collection. Analysis of the RTDS shows that there were approximately 34,500 fractions per million head of population per annum in 2009-10. However, the data collection also suggests that NRAG had overestimated the number of fractions delivered at that time so the baseline was in fact lower than 30,000 per million per annum. The Cancer Outcomes Strategy made the commitment to undertake a detailed analysis of the RTDS data to ensure that the metrics in the NRAG report remain meaningful and current. NRIG has been tasked with undertaking that analysis, including a review of progress, and is due to report by the autumn.
	NRIG has undertaken a major piece of work to bring together the experts to agree radiotherapy decision trees based on best practice prescribing of radiotherapy fractions. A toolkit has recently been made available to commissioners and providers of radiotherapy services to enable them to make assessments of local practice against agreed best practice. These assessments should inform demand planning and discussions about variations in services locally.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Simon Burns: The Department has made fewer than five permanent employees redundant in the last two years. As part of departmental restructuring and ‘downsizing', 278 permanent staff have left the Department over the last two years on voluntary exits.

Thalidomide

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the continuation of the thalidomide health grant beyond 2012.

Paul Burstow: Departmental officials have been in regular contact with officials from the devolved Administrations and will continue to work closely with them on this issue.

CABINET OFFICE

Economic Activity

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the economic activity rates are for (a) men and (b) women in each age decile group; and what assessment has been made of trends in these rates in the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the economic activity rates are for (a) men and (b) women in each age decile group; and what assessment has been made of trends in these rates in the last 30 years.
	The information requested is shown in the table. Estimates prior to 1993 are not available. In accordance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition, people are classed as economically active if they are either in employment or unemployed. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are not seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	Seasonally adjusted economic activity rates by age are published in Table 12 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin which is available on the National Statistics website via the following link:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_264236.pdf

Employment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West and (c) England in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West and (c) England in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on the number of employees are available from the ONS release Business Register Employment Survey (BRES) at:
	www.ons.gov.uk
	The following table contains the latest statistics available, which show the number of employees in the Manufacturing industry for Lancashire, the North West and England in 1997 and 2010.
	
		
			  1997 2010 
			 Lancashire 130,800 71,500 
			 North West 532,200 301,100 
			 England 3,532,700 1,999,800 
		
	
	The 1997 employee estimates shown above are taken from the Annual Employment Survey (AES) and the 2010 estimates come from BRES. The AES is a forerunner survey to BRES and differs in several ways, most notably in the method of data collection and in estimation methodology. Furthermore the estimate for Lancashire in 1997 is based on pre-1995 administrative boundaries. Comparisons between the figures from the two years should therefore be made with caution.

Fuel Oil: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of average household expenditure on heating fuel bills in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office, asking what estimate has been made of average household expenditure on heating fuel bills in Kilmarnock and Loudoun in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. (108899)
	The Living Costs and Food Survey (LCF), which is a sample survey covering approximately 5,000 households in the UK, collects data on expenditure on gas, electricity and other fuels. Unfortunately, estimates of household expenditure at parliamentary constituency level are not available due to small sample sizes.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Within the Cabinet Office each business group is accountable for managing its own risks and responsible for both maintaining its associated risk registers and ensuring that its business plans and all projects, programmes or activities which deliver departmental strategic or corporate objectives include the review of associated risks and that any mitigating actions are implemented.
	Risk registers are kept and maintained as is appropriate, at working level. A list of all risk registers used within the Department and its NDPBs is not held centrally.